A Story About Act IV
by Stareo
Summary: Act IV is the common marker for the course of the story where Sayori is the President of the Literature Club without Monika. But what if things were just a bit different? What if things continued? What if it wasn't a game?
1. In The News

Things had fallen into a relatively simple pattern since I joined my friend Sayori's literature club. We'd always find each other after the last class of the day, and we'd accompany each other to the room she operated the club in. She'd unlock the door, and we'd sit around and talk as we waited for the other members: Yuri-the vice president-and Natsuki, who was another member who joined before me. Typically Yuri would arrive before her, but recently Natsuki has been making a competition out of beating her there. She'd show up out of breath most days, having to race here from what was essentially the other end of the school, but lately she had been getting used to it.

At first Yuri seemed confused and guilty as to why Natsuki elected to run to the club every day, but that's faded away in place of contentment. Sayori said she had been giving Yuri tasks that should've kept her busy so Natsuki would win every time, considering Yuri had a much shorter walk. She's also pretty sure Yuri had caught on to that and has been giving Natsuki her personal victory on her own volition. Sayori thought it was cute. I thought she was doing it out of pity, but I didn't say that out loud.

"Isn't it cool how Natsuki decided to challenge herself like that? Especially when she doesn't have to!" Sayori called out to me as I was pushing some desks together. I snickered at the way she phrased it. "Maybe I should start running to the club room every day…"

"Sayori…" I start, but I have trouble putting it into words why that was a bad idea. "You shouldn't run in the halls. Knowing you, you'd probably trip, or collide with someone by accident."

"Heyyy…! I'm more sure-footed than _that!_ Gimme a break!" She whined, pouting towards me.

I snicker again, and decide to tease her a little. "Are you though?" Yeah, it was a weak comeback.

"Meanie!"

"Besides, if you ran, how would you expect me to keep up with you? I mean, you're clumsy, but you're pretty fast otherwise. I swear, Sayori, you could've been on the track team!"

"Ahahah… what, you really think so?" She tilts her head as she asks with a bashful expression. I nod in response.

Sayori smirks and shakes her head. She looks as if she was about to say something, but our conversation was interrupted by a familiar rhythm coming from the hallway. Natsuki's running.

Natsuki burst through the open door with glamour, already taking her backpack off. She threw it aside with reckless abandon like she always had. It was always a bit shocking to me, but I guess she doesn't keep anything fragile in there. "Haah… I've arrived!" Natsuki declared to us with pride.

"Hey Natsuki!" Sayori sang and waved at her. I nodded my greeting wordlessly.

"How's it going, you two?" Natsuki strolled over and sat on top of one of the desks I had moved. "Anything neat going on?"

"Hmm. Not really!" Sayori answered.

"Actually, there was something in the newspaper that caught my attention this morning..." Yuri's voice caught me by surprise. She was standing in the doorway. She must've waited for Natsuki to barge in from behind a corner before walking over. That image caused me to smile.

"Oh-hi Yuri!" Sayori waved at her, too. I thought it was cute how she always waved at us when greeting us each day. I was no exception to it!

"You read the newspaper?" Natsuki asked plainly. "I don't really go beyond the headlines."

"I don't read the newspaper at all! I hate the news!" Sayori cheered with a bright smile. "They stopped delivering it to my house!"

Yuri cradled her fingers with embarrassment. "Ahahah… well, I think it's important to stay informed…" She looked at me expectantly.

"I don't have the time to read it in the morning, but I sometimes get it on the radio when I'm getting ready, though. What did you want to talk about, Yuri?"

She smiled at my light encouragement and placed a hand on her chest briefly before clearing her throat. "That's right. I read this morning that a student at this school was detained yesterday after experiencing a psychotic break and lashing out at other students." She said with a serious attitude. "I believe she's just turned eighteen, and being tried as an adult. I suspect her lawyer is going to go with an insanity plea."

"Oof. What a nut-bar." Natsuki commented. "This was at our school? So who was it?"

"If I recall correctly, I actually shared a few classes with them one semester. The newspaper named 'Monika,' but the students she attacked were left anonymous."

Monika? Didn't I have classes with a Monika last year? Wasn't she all sorts of popular and talented…? What would cause her to do that?

"What did she do to the other students?" Natsuki asked, leaning forward. Sayori frowned, keeping quiet.

"The column didn't really… go into detail. But I overheard in the cafeteria she tried to strangle someone to death… but that's not all that I heard, I also heard different rumors that she had a weapon, or that she tried to claw their eyes out-"

"-Okay, that is enough!" Sayori shouted, interrupting Yuri. "I don't wanna hear about that anymore!" She placed her hands on her hips grumpily.

"A-ah, I'm sorry…!" Yuri apologized. "I really shouldn't have said any of that..."

"Jeez…!" Natsuki rubbed her eyes. "I hope at least they were jerks. That's messed up."

"Natsuki! Don't say things like that, that's horrible!" Sayori scolded her.

"Wasn't Monika a popular student and the leader of the debate club?" I ask Yuri as the other two had a small back-and-forth.

"O-oh, I believe you're correct."

"That's kinda scary… I never would've suspected someone like her to do that."

Yuri placed a hand on her chest again. "I'm sadly desensitized to it by now… I-I mean, horrible things happen all the time, really!" Her expression was quickly substituted for embarrassment. "It just doesn't... shock me as much as it used to… you understand, don't you?"

"I have to agree, really." I confess with a sigh. Yuri mirrored my sigh, as if she was holding her breath. She seemed quickly reassured with my agreement. "I just didn't think something would happen so close to home. And that it would be someone as well-off as Monika, too!"

Yuri closed her eyes and took a short pause before speaking. "I always felt as if there was a little devil inside us all, and that life was about conquering that devil. But in a case like this, they fail to vanquish it, and the devil takes over…"

"You know, this is why I hate reading the news." Sayori declared abruptly. I suppose her little chat with Natsuki had ended and she was waiting for a chance to speak again. "The news is always filled with stories about terrible people doing terrible things and I always leave it feeling more unhappy than when I started. That's why I don't bother with it! I'd much rather read a sad book if I wanted to feel that way, because at least those usually have happy endings!"

"What if school was cancelled tomorrow and you didn't know?" Natsuki chimed in from the side.

"Ehh? Well…" Sayori pressed her index fingers together and looked at me. "You'd tell me that, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would! Unless I didn't know myself." Maybe I shouldn't have said that as enthusiastically as I did.

"See? I don't need the newspaper, I have MC! They tell me what's important, and I can always feel happier around them!"

"Ugh." Natsuki rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to get over that stupid nickname. Quit fooling around and tell us your _real_ name, eh?"

"My nickname isn't stupid…!" I whine in defense. I shouldn't have done that, because Natsuki's eyes lit up instantly when I did.

"Oh, it is now! I hereby dub you Stupid, until you tell me what your real name is!"

"N-Natsuki…!" Yuri stood beside me on the defensive. Before she could continue I took a step in front of her.

"Is that how it is? Just you wait until I find a ridiculous nickname for you, Natsuki! This means war!" I say in my best attempt to sound playful. It seemed to make Natsuki incredibly flustered.

"Nn… Whatever! You won't even come close to topping mine!" She folded her arms and looked away. I caught a glimpse of what looked like Natsuki trying to suppress a smile before Yuri got my attention again.

"I-If you don't mind me asking… why is your nickname MC? Is there a story behind it?"

"It's his middle name!" Sayori cheered.

"Hah, yeah… my middle name is Emcee, with E's. My parents like music. Not that I'm complaining…!"

Yuri giggled politely. "I think it's a nice middle name…"

"Oh, I see what you're doing! You're just trying to butter him up so he shares his real name! Hahaha!" Sayori laughed. "It's not gonna work! I'm the only one who knows his secret! And don't worry, MC, it's safe with me!"

Yuri seemed incredibly uncomfortable at the accusation. I just chuckled and shrugged. "Thanks for the compliment, Yuri."

"Alright everyone!" Sayori called out to everyone. "Now that we're all here and comfortable, let's get started with today's club activities~!"

* * *

[AN: _Welcome, one and all, to my world..._ That was pretentious. Anyways, howdy. This is going to be the first and probably one of the only stories I upload officially. I don't know how to use this website, so bear with me if things don't make any sense! Because I don't really know what's going on over there. This is my first part! Be warned, things get a lot different moving forward, and trust me, there's so much more to see. If you saw this on discord or Reddit, this is the same author. Hope you enjoyed this first part. ~Stareo]


	2. A Letter

The rest of the club meeting was a breeze. We all took turns talking about what we were currently reading-Natsuki would usually make jabs at the clichés, Yuri would often muse questions to herself more than anyone, and Sayori would always make exciting predictions about what happened next. Most of which would be proven wrong the next meeting. We always made a special event for what we called 'The Yuri/Natsuki Exchange' where me and Sayori watched as the two girls awkwardly attempt to pitch suggestions to each other. It was a humorous club activity, but I don't know if either of them ever really read each other's recommendations.

After another normal club meeting, I went home with Sayori just like any other day. I voiced my opinion about the exchange and she said 'it didn't really matter, so long as they were having fun together.'

I was starting to think Natsuki was suggesting manga that would intentionally infuriate Yuri as a joke. Fluffy romances, magical girls, slice-of-life-today's suggestion was about bunnies and kittens! I almost felt tempted to look into myself, based on the way she described it. It sounded a lot more intense, with some powerful message on racism and prejudice as the kitten and bunny spearhead an acceptance movement with their budding romance. I should've paid more attention to what the name was, though...

Yuri, on the other hand, was catering her suggestions to Natsuki, which deeply annoyed her. Oftentimes it was some simple realistic fiction novel about a kid in school as something happens to them. For example, today it was a novel about a kid meeting another outcast kid that people picked on for being different, despite being an amazing artist. Natsuki... _almost_ looked interested, I guess.

I joked that in a few weeks Yuri would start bringing her picture books. I know I laughed, and so did Sayori, but I think it might've been too embarrassing for Yuri, and Natsuki looked like she was ready to slap me. Just another day in the literature club, really...

After saying farewell to Sayori and recovering from an awkwardly placed poke on the cheek, I headed up the path to my house and went inside...

The lights were off but the house was still illuminated as the orange glow of the late afternoon broke through the windows. A typical sight, since my parents aren't home at this hour. I spied an unusual envelope on the floor behind the door directly in front of me as I entered. I picked it up and kicked my shoes off, and brought it over to the kitchen counter to study.

The envelope was sealed precisely with wax, but beyond that was completely unmarked. There was no stamp or return address on it. Whoever sent this to my house did so personally, sliding it through the door's mail chute sometime after I left for school today.

I suppose there's no harm in opening it.

In the envelope was a folded sheet of lined stationary. I took it out and unfolded it.

There was but a single sentence written with black ink and in neat handwriting.

 _Is this your home?_

...

A terrible sense of dread washed over me. I stared ahead of me as the comfort of my home vanished like a paper burning in a flame. I suddenly felt unsafe: like someone was in the house that wasn't supposed to be here, or like I was being watched. I remembered how to breathe. Acting on instinct, I grabbed a large chef's knife from the kitchen sink and clutched it tightly to my chest. The house was typically silent, but the creaks and moans that I was used to suddenly seemed a lot more hostile...

I was fairly certain I locked the door when I left. I always do. I had to unlock it to get inside. Why then does that feel like such a distant memory? I spun the knife in my hand so I could use it more effectively-if I needed to. I really hope I don't need to. My parents wouldn't be home until much later in the evening. I'd be alone until then. I've never felt more alone than now. Except, it was a completely new feeling of loneliness, a more worldly one. As if there was nothing in this world to support me but myself.

I really didn't want to move from where I was standing. I was afraid that there could've been something around every corner-no, in every blind spot I had. Everything seemed too quiet for something to _not_ be waiting for me. But if I can just make it to my room, I can lock the door. I could be safe in there. _Or safer, rather._ I'll keep the knife with me, too, just in case.

The air felt cold around me. Taking drawn-out breaths through my nose, I battled the scent of dust and static. This place I used to feel so comfortable in was suddenly cast in an all new light. Perhaps that was just because the afternoon sun had begun to shift into a red evening. I tucked the stationary back into the envelope and grasped it with my open hand. It was time to act...

With a rush I had thrown myself up the stairs and down the hall to my room. I didn't spare a single glance behind me or into the even darker bathroom to the side. I was too afraid of what I might've seen. I shut the door to the room behind me quickly, immediately deducing that my room was empty of anyone but myself.

I don't know why I carried the letter with me to my room. I should've been reporting this to the police, really. This was a threat, I think... I should've at least told my parents about it. I really shouldn't have set it in that desk drawer. But maybe… all that would be more trouble than it's worth. I made it to my room, after all, and there's nobody here but myself. Maybe this was a prank, and everyone got a letter like this. I'll just wait until someone brings it up tomorrow at school. I sighed and laid the knife down atop the desk. I'll return it to the kitchen next morning.

This was my room, wasn't it? It looked like it. I spend enough time in here that I shouldn't even need to ask that. Why then… did everything feel so off? This was my home… But why did it feel like the walls were too close? Why was the ceiling so low? Was this the same carpet? My computer was filthy. The knife stuck out atop my desk as the only object I had some acute familiarity with. It didn't belong there, and neither did I. Why was I feeling this way?

I glance at the handle of the drawer I had hidden the letter away in, almost like I was expecting something to happen. I can't help but wonder what that damned thing was really asking me. I sigh and rub my eyes, forcing my attention away from it. Was all of this because of a single letter? Or was there something more to this that I never realized?

Who's to say that was even for me? I suppose that it could be possible it wasn't. It could've been for my parents. No, no… the letter was unmarked, there was no specifications for who it was for. I can't assume that. Unless I want to count the chance whoever sent it knew _I'd_ be the first to find it… In which case it _was_ meant for me. But should I assume they're clever enough to do that? Damn it… what was so special about me anyways?

This was too much. I need to mute all these complicated thoughts with some anime or games or something.

...

Before I knew it, the sun was gone from the sky. My parents were home, but I never greeted them. Hours before then, I had gotten a text from my dad saying 'Dinners on your own'. I didn't really feel like leaving my room until they returned, and as a result I had missed the window for eating something worthwhile. If I tried to make something, I would've been challenging my sleep schedule more than I already felt comfortable with. I managed to sneak away with some chocolates and a glass of milk.

In hindsight, I should've just made something anyways because I didn't fall asleep at all that night. I couldn't relax, nothing felt comfortable. It all felt wrong. The only thing remotely comfortable about trying to sleep was the security in knowing that I had put the knife under my pillow. Then again, maybe having an uncovered edged weapon under my head had a part in making me uncomfortable too. It was complicated. I just felt like I didn't belong. I felt like nothing belonged.

Now that it was morning, I dragged myself downstairs to the kitchen with the knife in hand. It looked just like it was supposed to. I wasn't afraid anymore, but I still felt the echoes of my paranoia last night. This house felt different now.

I didn't feel all that hungry, but I poured a bowl of cereal anyway and spooned some sugar and blueberries in the mixture. I'll just go dry, take my time. I poured some milk in a glass. The glass looked too tall, the bowl was too wide, and the spoon felt thicker in my hands than I remembered. It wasn't right… but the little details weren't going to stop me from eating, either.

At least it tasted nice. Some things still made sense around here. I ate a few more spoons in silence before turning on the radio. A strong voice was talking about the weather, but I couldn't piece anything together besides dropping temperatures before it transitioned into some simple strings music. It helped me calm down and focus a lot more than I realized it would. Maybe I should look into getting some portable music on my phone.

It didn't take all that long before I had finished breakfast and got dressed. I grabbed my backpack and headed outside. Before I could turn around to lock the door behind me, my attention was immediately captured by the figure of Sayori. She was just standing there outside my gate, looking down the street. The sound of the door closing caused her to look at me. She threw me an uncertain smile as I approached.

Wait, why was Sayori outside my gate? Did she wake up early? Come to think of it, what time was it anyway…?

"Uh… hey, MC." She waved noncommittally, studying my face. "Rough night, huh?"

I shrugged. "I guess. I see you're up early, Sayori."

Her face scrunched up slightly. "Uh… that's not it…" She scanned the street behind her and the street ahead, checking to see if anyone was around. "MC, you…" she stepped closer to me and grabbed my arm, "you can't go out looking like this!" she whisper-yelled. "Come on… get back inside..." She began dragging me back into my house.

"Sayori…!" I try to object, but it's no use. I'm already back inside. "We're gonna be late!"

"We're already an hour late!"

"What?!" I jerk my arm away from her and look for anything within sight that displayed the time. Sure enough, on the microwave. It was a quarter past nine, an hour after school started! How did that even happen? Did I pass out at some point trying to sleep and didn't realize it? Maybe I spent too long eating-

Sayori grabbed my arm again. "MC… I'm not gonna let you go to school like this! Did you even look in the mirror once this morning? You look terrible!"

I wanted to say something back, but the way her face and voice were so genuinely concerned made my tongue heavy in my mouth. I just shook my head somberly. Because it was true, I didn't look.

Without another word she escorted me into my bathroom. She was right, I did look terrible. My hair was a mess, and my clothes were a lot dirtier than I thought, there were bags under my eyes… it also occurred to me that I didn't brush my teeth, put on deodorant or cologne, or did anything. In fact, the radio was still playing in the kitchen. I never turned it off.

As I scanned myself in the mirror, my eyes found Sayori's reflection. It was strange seeing Sayori attached to my arm in the mirror like this. She must've noticed I was looking at her and let go of me. "Do you need some privacy…?" She asked me innocently.

"Uh, sure…"

"Alright… but first, take off your blazer. It's dirty."

"My other blazer is dirtier…"

"Just take it off, okay? You might get hair or toothpaste on it. You're tired." She pointed an accusatory finger at me.

I exhale deeply through my nose as I unbutton my blazer and slide it off. Sayori catches it and folds it over her arms. She gives me a small smile before stepping out of the bathroom, shoving the door so it almost closed.

I start with brushing my teeth and then moved into fixing my hair. Once it was down, I applied some antiperspirant deodorant under my shirt and subsequently applied my cologne. I didn't really rush, despite knowing I was late. No matter what happened, I'd still receive the same punishment. I doubt I was missing anything important in those early classes anyway. That was the justification Sayori always used whenever she was late.

There was an interesting thought. Sayori was here. Usually when I'm sick and can't go to school she'll just go on without me. How come she stuck around? How long was she waiting there for me…? I'd have to ask her about that.

I took a step back to get a better look at myself in the bathroom mirror. I looked a lot better now, even though I still had dark rings under my eyes from failing to sleep properly. They were all that was left from that night. That also reminds me, I also have to keep an eat out for any talk about anyone else getting weird letters.

When I finally emerged from the bathroom I found Sayori on the other side of the door, presenting my blazer to me with her arms outstretched like it was a miracle product in a commercial. "Ta-Daaa! Check it out!"

And it might as well have _been_ a miracle! It looked completely clean, and it was even warm to the touch! "Sayori! It's all clean now…! Did you do this?"

"I sure did! Really, it was no big deal… I just scrubbed out the stains, went over it with a lint roller, and ironed it..." She touched her fingers together. "Hehehe…"

"Huh. I never would've expected this from someone like you."

"Heyy! I cleaned your blazer for you, and saved you from going out looking like a complete disaster, and that's how you act? Meanie!" She pouted and crossed her arms. I suppose that was a bit mindless of me.

I take a slow breath to think of something to say. "Sayori, I'm really thankful that you did this for me…" I say meekly. "I'm glad you waited for me today. I'm glad we're still such good friends… it's always meant a lot to me..."

Sayori smiled warmly and dropped her defensive charade. "MC… I'm glad we're friends too. Thank you for being honest about this. I like it when you're in touch with your emotions like this. I've always... enjoyed that side of you." Her eyes slowly drifted away from me like she was contemplating something. I didn't really know what to say after that. Thankfully, she blinked rapidly and refocused on me. "Let's get going! If we walk slow enough, we'll be just in time for lunch! We could eat together!"

"Hah… sure. That sounds nice."

* * *

[Author Note: I decided to upload this chapter ahead of schedule, just to make sure everyone's on the same page on what this story is like. Hope everyone sticks with it! Every subsequent part I've written thus far has been longer than the last, so I hope you're all ready for the long haul. This story is going to go some places, and it's going to take some time getting there. ~Stareo]


	3. Lunchtime Conversation!

Spending the extra time with Sayori was an interesting experience. I never really had lunch with her at school. I usually just sat at the foot of a table full of random geek types that tended to flock together. It was usually crowded, noisy, and it smelled weird depending on who I sat next to, but I'd usually hear about new manga and what anime to be looking out for second-hand.

On the other hand, sitting next to Sayori was a completely different experience. I was surprised when she brought me to an empty table at the edge of the cafeteria, and was even more surprised nobody else came by, not even any of the other Literature Club members. It was just the two of us. It was a bit quieter, there was plenty of room if we needed it, and it didn't smell bad. Sadly, I doubt I'll overhear anything about any letters over here. But, in hindsight, that wasn't _really_ that big of a deal… I was just needlessly paranoid. I hope.

I couldn't help but think about it again. It wasn't so much about the letter itself but the effect it had on me. My first impulse was to think it was a threat of sorts, layed there by a home invader with a taste for blood. That was unrealistic, frankly. But if it wasn't a threat, then _what was it supposed to be?_ Was it really just a prank, or was it something else? Ever since I read it my whole world felt just a bit askew. Why was that?

What if I got another letter? Oh man, I don't know I'd do then…

I suddenly felt a nudge on my shoulder. It was Sayori. She had been strangely quiet ever since we left my house. "Are you alright MC? You look scared..." Her gentle voice was a shock to the system. I hadn't heard anything like that before--it was such a contrasting sound, compared to how Sayori usually carried herself. It was almost intimate in that way.

"I'm… I'm just tired, is all. I wish I got more sleep. But, I'll be okay." I rubbed my eyes with my thumb and forefinger.

"Alright…" was her response. She used that same tone of voice.

Honestly, I was expecting Sayori to talk a lot more since we were having lunch together. But I was also expecting her to do that when we walked to school earlier. I stole a glance at her as I humored my schlocky cafeteria lunch. She seemed a lot more tranquilI at the moment. Her sky blue eyes were diluted to a cobalt shade. I watched her, wondering if she was daydreaming about something. But I guess I must've tripped her sixth sense by accident.

She looked at me with a weak smile. "Sorry that I'm not talking so much. I'm not used to this, ehehe…" There was the voice I was so familiar with. But it was odd hearing that now.

I looked away from her and payed a little more attention to my food. "Neither am I." I responded evenly. I could see her picking at her food from the corner of my eye. Maybe if tried to break the ice with some questions she'd feel a bit more at ease. "Hey Sayori."

She looked at me curiously, expecting me to continue with my question.

"How did you learn how to do laundry like that?" I tugged on my blazer for specification.

"Oh, I just have a ton of practice...! I've had to do my own laundry since I was young. _Especially_ with the school uniforms, eheh…" She covered her mouth to mask the embarrassment a bit more, but quickly dropped it back onto the table. "You know how my parents are away even more than yours are, right? Yeah…"

"That's right. Where's your dad now? Still in Tokyo?" I try to recall the last time she mentioned her parents. Her father spent a lot of time away from home on business.

"No, he's in Seoul now. Korea." She shook her head.

"I hope he's not away for so much longer."

Sayori just nodded in agreement. I suppose Sayori's father was a pretty serious businessman to be travelling so often. I remember him always being a fun and cheery guy whenever he was around, back when me and Sayori had playdates as kids. I guess he can switch that on and off, or maybe it's those personable qualities that gives him an edge. I can't say for certain.

He was absolutely the type of person that someone could look up to. He has a vibrant career, and he's a vibrant father as well. I remember I used him a lot as a lynchpin in my childhood tantrums. I'd always tell my own dad that _he_ would've gotten me ice cream. It usually didn't work. No, I don't think it _ever_ worked. I can't think of a time it did.

Since that conversation petered to a close, I decided to take out my phone. With the press of a button the screen illuminated, and I was greeted some eye-catching notifications: 3 missed calls from Sayori and even more unopened texts from her. I instinctively swallowed. They were all marked with timestamps from late seven all the way to nine, about fifteen minutes before I met her this morning. I put down the phone without reading the texts. It was heavy with the fact I kept Sayori waiting for more than an entire hour.

I stole a glance at her. She was glaring at my phone with a grumpy pout. I swallowed again. She must've been waiting for this exact moment. "Okay, first of all, I'm sorry-" Sayori rolled her eyes, "-I really just didn't check, or look, or… hear, or anything, really." I must've looked pathetic like this. I sounded pretty pathetic.

Sayori exhaled through her nose in resignation. "MC… did something happen last night?" She asked in that soft voice I had heard earlier. It wrapped around me like bubble wrap on a porcelain vase that could still break under its protection.

I had to choose my next words carefully. Whatever the situation was with the letter, I don't think I should get Sayori involved with it. "I just saw something scary. It kept me up at night. I don't remember sleeping at all."

"Oh… yeah, that's no good." Sayori said distantly. I couldn't tell if she really believed that answer. It wasn't like I was lying to her, I was just omitting details... She lingered on a pause before continuing. "I hope you don't have any more trouble sleeping." She exhaled.

It seemed odd--off, even, to hear her voice like that. I suppose it might've just been a product of the setting. We were alone, relatively speaking. She wouldn't have to be as loud or bubbly, since we were already close… but this is the first time I've seen this, and it's by no means the first time we've been alone together. In any case, if she's been asking me about how I'm doing, I felt I might as well inquire in return. "Are you doing alright, Sayori?"

The corners of her mouth twitched into a faint smile as she sat there contemplating my question. Her smile wasn't very headstrong, as it faltered the longer she took. She finally answered me: "Yeah... I've just been thinking about some things. Don't worry about me, though. Oh!" She perked up suddenly and pointed towards one of the cafeteria doors.

I quickly traced her direction and caught a glimpse of what was unmistakably Natsuki leaving the cafeteria. "There's Natsuki!" Sayori exclaimed, confirming what I saw. "Guess what, MC? She's bringing cupcakes to today's club meeting! I forgot to tell you!"

" _Really?!_ I mean--that's cool!"

Sayori giggled at my double-take. She seemed excited, and her excitement was definitely contagious. I mean, Natsuki was making cupcakes again! She hasn't done that since the first day I joined the club. They were quite good then... I wondered if they were going to be more of the cat themed ones, or if she'd do something different this time. I guess I'll find out after school!

I made the connection that since Natsuki left the cafeteria (I'm pretty sure I saw her backpack too) that lunch might be ending soon. I never memorized the schedule, I just always depended on everyone else knowing when periods ended and following along with them. I stood up, balancing my tray with one hand. Sayori followed my example, taking her tray with two hands and following me as we disposed of the garbage and dropped the trays off at the washing counter.

"Hey MC." Sayori started as we headed back to our table. "Where do you usually have lunch, anyways?"

I shrugged, and looked towards the general direction of where I used to sit. "Ah, well-"

"I can tell you where Yuri sits. She sits alone. Ehehe…" she winked at me hyperbolically. But I think she meant it to be more casual. "She'd really enjoy your company, you know." Sayori said with a teasing edge.

I looked to the side passively, expecting to catch a glimpse of Yuri by her lonesome, but no dice. I didn't really know what to say. Didn't Sayori also sit alone? I'd be more tempted to keep sitting with her since we were already friends, frankly. But getting closer to Yuri sounded promising, too. "I think I'll just go back to where I was before. They're probably wondering where I was." For all I know, that could've been true. I can't honestly imagine myself sitting there anymore, though.

I suddenly had an idea… but I decided to keep quiet for now, and save it for the Literature Club meeting. Maybe all four of us could sit together during lunch? Since Sayori and Yuri both sat alone, and I didn't really care to sit by the manga crowd, that could work out. I just hope Natsuki was down for that too. I didn't know a whole lot about her, but I imagined her the sort to have a lot of sharp-tongued friends, even if she didn't really identify with them at heart. This was possible.

Sayori and I made it back to our table and collected our backpacks from the spare seats we placed them in. "You can go ahead. I'm going to wait for the bell." Sayori said plainly, sitting back down. I shrugged. It would only be a minute or two, there really wasn't any point in waiting.

"Alright. I'll see you after school…" I saw her smile before I turned around to make for the exit. Once I was out of the cafeteria and into the commons hallways heading towards my next class, I reflected on everything that had happened that morning. I couldn't hold back my sigh. I really was indebted to Sayori... She did so much for me today that I never could have asked for. Was it any wonder that people would tease us as being a couple?

 _Me and Sayori, as a couple._ Sometimes I imagine that scenario, because I did have a little bit of a crush on her. But it was a lot easier to keep my mind off of that... I've had lots of crushes on lots of girls, and I always did the same thing: I denied the thought. Whenever I was interested in a girl it was almost impossible for me to be around them without turning into a huge clumsy dork and embarrassing myself. I learned that if I humored my crushes in my head, it'd just be a lot harder to get close to anyone. I've found that it was always better to ignore those feelings and hide them away. Some people call me dense because of that, but… I'd rather be oblivious than an embarrassment. Me and Sayori wouldn't be as good of friends if I started thinking of her like that.

Unless she felt the same way about me. That'd be… nice. I'm not going to start thinking about it. I have to remember what I did in class the other day.

[Author's Note: _What are schedules?_ I don't know, really. I decide to post once it feels like enough time has passed, but if I do that I might run out of backlog...

Get this, this chapter you just read is only like 1/2 of the original draft for this. I was unsure of posting something too long in contrast to everything else, so I cut it off there. But, anyways, I hope you like it! Reviews are greatly appreciated. ~Stareo]


	4. A Present, A Picture

Classes rolled by like they always did. I had a hard time keeping up with half of them since it was hard to remember a lot of what we covered yesterday... a result of my lack of sleep. I neglected to do any of my assignments from yesterday, too. It was disheartening to see the work pile up before me, but I was in no way unfamiliar with that.

Just like yesterday, and just like any day, I met with Sayori and joined her to the clubroom. I began shoving the desks together to create a makeshift table for all of us to have cupcakes at. Unlike yesterday, though, Sayori wasn't talking so much. Not only that, but Yuri entered the clubroom before Natsuki. It seemed as if she rushed here. We greeted her like we always did.

"Yuri, you're early today." I added to my greeting.

"Well, of course I am… Didn't you know? Natsuki is bringing cupcakes again." She traced the clubroom to the closet, and retrieved all the components of her tea set. "I was hoping to have all this ready in time... "

"Hah, I should've known." I comment idly. Yuri visibly tenses up, if only a little.

"E-eh… that's n-not a bad idea or anything, is it? I fear I might come off as trying to undermine Natsuki's cupcakes by making tea for everyone…"

"Nonsense!" Sayori chimes in. "Everyone knows your tea goes well with her cupcakes! Here, give me the water pitcher, I'll go fill it up for you. You can plug in the hotplate, and we can save some time like that!" She took the pitcher from Yuri and bounced out of the room before she can muster a response. I think I saw Sayori go in the opposite direction of the closest water fountain, though...

"Ah… um… Emcee, could you perhaps plug in the hotplate?" Yuri asked me. I tilted my head. She said my nickname much more quickly than I was used to hearing it. Probably to sound closer to what my middle name was. I had gotten used to everyone pronouncing it more deliberately.

"Sure thing."

She hastily set the hotplate down on a desk and returned to the closet. As I proceeded, I could hear the clanking of the teacups and saucers as she collected them from the closet. I plugged in the hotplate and took a step back to stretch a tiny bit after being hunched over searching for the outlet. I set the dial to the highest setting and looked back at Yuri. She had her hands behind her back as she stood besides the desks I pushed together. Three of the four desks had saucers and pink teacups, each featuring identical ornate detailing. Her face quickly went red as my eyes met hers. "I… uh… about last time…"

Oh yeah, _last time._ That was in the back of my mind when she first mentioned she'd be making tea today. The last and only other time Yuri made tea to share with everyone... the time I drank tea out of a dusty red solo cup we were lucky to find left behind in the closet.

There were only three teacups, so that meant someone wouldn't be drinking. "I'm alright with passing on the tea." I try to say calmly. I was worried Yuri would take offense to that. Yuri, as a matter of fact, did seem to take offense regardless.

"No! I-I…" she said strongly, but that confidence crumpled like tinfoil. She looked away from me nervously. "I think you'll enjoy this tea. And… ah… I have… I have a gift for you." Yuri spoke slowly, revealing that she was holding something behind her back. It was in a small simple box with a lid, whatever it was. I don't know how she snuck that in... maybe it was in her backpack. "Please… you'll want to open it now."

I smiled gently. How could this girl be cuter, really? A gift, just out of the blue like that. I just wished she was less nervous around me. She held out the box towards me and I took it from her, setting it down to take the lid off. It was filled with colorful tissue paper, presumably for cushioning or extra cover. Based on the weight, I already had a good idea of what was inside.

I glanced up at Yuri. She had her hands folded over her heart as she watched me proceed. Returning my attention on the box, I shuffled my hand through the tissue to retrieve the item inside. Sure enough, it was another teacup and saucer! It was almost the same as the other cups, except the ceramic was yellow instead of pink.

"Do you like it? It wanted to find the same set that I had bought originally, and it is the same design and production...but I saw the yellow color, and I couldn't help but think of you…" She jolted and tensed up, surprised at what she said. " I-I mean, I was reminded of you! So I bought those instead. They came in a set of three, but I only brought that one. You know, so it can stay here in the clubroom. The other two are at my house… Ah... ahaha… I suppose I should've brought those too... sorry..."

I set the cup down on the empty desk, completing the arrangement. "It's alright, you can keep those. I wouldn't have much use for them at home."

"Oh, thank you…" Yuri's eyes followed my hands as I had set the cup down. "Y-you do like it, don't you?"

"I appreciate it, for sure. I like that its yellow, it differentiates my cup from the others."

 _It didn't belong with the others. It shouldn't be there. I didn't belong._ The intrusive thoughts echoed throughout my head suddenly: they felt reminiscent of the way I felt after reading the letter from yesterday. I thought I was past this...

"I hope you can appreciate the symbolism. Since it would be yours, I figured it should be special... " Yuri's voice trailed off shyly.

" _HAHaha! Did I hear that right?_ " Natsuki's voice sliced through the tension in the air like it was the fickle tissue paper from the gift box. I spun around and caught her walking in unannounced with a covered muffin tin. "That was the most cliché thing I've ever heard. Someone pinch me. Sheesh!" She pushed past me, and set down the tin in the center of the desk arrangement proudly.

"N-Natsuki… hello." Yuri greeted her dryly.

"Hey Yuri." She glanced at me. "Hey Stupid. Did Yuri confess to you earlier or what?"

I forgot that Natuski had decided my nickname was 'Stupid.' I'd have to come up with one for her, like I said I would.

" _N-Natsuki!_ How could you say so something so rash? Where do you get off on making accusations like that?" She scolded Natsuki, who responded with another laugh. "E-Emcee, I'm so sorry-"

"Hey Stupid, can I have your phone number?" Natsuki asked me with a wide smirk. I noticed the color drain from Yuri's face as she interrupted her. "I read something online I thought you'd be into, but I don't have your contact, so…"

All I could muster was a confused noise before agreeing to the proposition, passing my own phone to Natsuki so she could put her number in it. She was able to do that as well as sneak in a bunch of rapid-fire selfies before I snatched my phone back. As irritating as that was, I could at least use one of them as a contact photo.

"Hey, while it's hot... Yuri!" Natsuki called out. "Why don't you give big Stupid over here your phone number, too?" I felt Natsuki's hand on my lower back pushing me towards Yuri. She had positioned herself closer to the wall. Her facial expressions shifted rapidly from astonishment to confusement to overjoyed and everything in between, landing on a serene look of contentment. I wordlessly handed her my phone, and she accepted it much more gracefully than I would've expected. She didn't hesitate to add her number.

"Feel free to take a picture of yourself, too." I say after a moment. "One _, singular,_ good picture…" I glanced at Natsuki with playful ire. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Ah… may I ask that you take the picture? I don't like trying to take pictures of myself…" Yuri requested, handing my phone back to me. I took it back and opened the camera.

"I can do that, sure. Just keep standing there." I instructed, and... well, she did just as I asked. Her posture shifted, and she was now standing awkwardly tall and rigid like a purple lamp. "Uh… smile!" She fidgeted in place, and gave an extraordinarily wide and uncertain smile, showing most of her teeth and slightly bugging her eyes out. It was a bit freaky.

"Hahaha, okay, _no_." Natsuki laughed. "That smile is so forced I feel violated just _looking_ at it." I had to fight back the urge to laugh at that comment. Yuri stopped smiling for the camera, flashing a look of hurt. "Yuri, loosen up a bit, okay? Think about what you want Stupid to see every time you talk. Think about something that makes you happier than anything else."

Yuri took a deep breath, her shoulders dropping as her eyes drifted to the side in thought. Natsuki and I watched as her expression gingerly warmed up to a gentle smile with a creeping blush. It was, for lack of a better word, photogenic... the perfect opportunity to take the picture. With a click, that was exactly what I did. I was actually surprised that had worked out so well. "That was it…! Looks good!" I announced. Yuri seemed shocked, like my voice had snapped her from a small trance. "Thanks for the suggestion, Natsuki."

Yuri crossed over to me to get a better look at the picture of herself. Natsuki disregarded my gratitude. "Hey Yuri, bet'cha I can guess what you were thinking about."

"You know Natsuki, half the time I don't know if I like you or despise you." Yuri chided evenly. Natsuki rolled her eyes and looked around the clubroom. I showed Yuri the picture as it looked when set to her contact. She mirrored the smile unintentionally. "Ah… I didn't know I looked like that when I daydreamed... T-that might be the best picture of me I've had taken… you did an exceptional job, Emcee..."

"I just pressed a button. Thank Natsuki." Blunt as it may be, it was the truth. When I think about it, Yuri should be thanking Natsuki for a lot more than that. She was the reason Yuri was able to get my phone number so easily. That would've without a doubt been an impossible task on her lonesome.

"Hey, where's Sayori?" Natsuki asked loudly from the other side of the room. "You're both always in here before me, right?"

"She went to fill up the pitcher for the tea." I respond.

"I do wonder what's keeping her… it shouldn't take this long." Yuri added.

"Hmph. Should we wait for her?" Natsuki eyed the muffin tin she had brought.

"Well, of course we should… she's a part of the club." I suggested meekly. If Natsuki was going to go against me, there probably wasn't much I could say or do. Thankfully, she didn't say anything else, just a grunt as she migrated to the closet for her manga. Yuri had also sat down against the wall with a book in her hands. I sat down at the desks in front of my new teacup and waited for her.


	5. A Water Pitcher

Only a few minutes later, Sayori returned with the water pitcher. Her clothes were noticeably damp and there were torn scraps of brown paper towel clinging to her and the pitcher. She didn't say a word or acknowledge anybody as she marched straight to the hotplate and placed the pitcher atop it, like a trophy on a pedestal. All three of us were waiting with bated breath for her to say something as her back was turned.

Sayori took a deep breath through her nose, and after an uncomfortably long pause, spun on her heels to face all of us. She threw her arms out to the side theatrically, and with a bright smile said: "I'm back! Did you miss me?"

I glanced around to get a sense of the other girls' reactions. Natsuki mumbled something to herself quietly and I think Yuri was actually trying to gauge _my_ reaction. I decided to speak up. "Uh... what happened out there, Sayori?"

"Oh, nothing, really! I just filled up the pitcher, and…" She touched her fingers together, and averted her eyes from everyone. "I, um... I happened to think of a funny joke, and I spent a while laughing to myself before I came back. I even, ah, broke a sweat, as you can see…" She tugged at her damp collar.

"How'd the joke go?" Natsuki asked impatiently. "I wanna know if it's as funny as you say it is."

"I-It goes a little bit like… well, it's like a 'what if,' right? I filled up the pitcher and thought to myself, 'what if I slipped while I was carrying the pitcher and spilled it all over the floor and all over myself?' I thought that was kinda funny. You know... what if that happened." She ever-so-slightly adjusted the pitcher as it sat on the hotplate. It produced a sizzle as the water that was on the outside made contact with the plate. "While I was laughing about that, I thought, 'what if I slipped in front of a janitor and he started yelling at me for making a mess?' There's some humor in that…!"

We were all quiet as Sayori continued to tell her 'joke.' She sauntered over and sat across from me at the desk arrangement. "But that wasn't even the funniest part. The janitor was yelling at me and wanted me to clean it up, but like, _he can't make me_ , so I ran away! I went-I mean like _what if_ I went to the bathroom and tried to use paper towels to dry off? Hah!" She pounded on the desk, causing the cups and saucers clatter together. "I mean, now that's comedy, right? Oh, but that wasn't even the end of it! Like real jokes do, they just keep going!"

"Sayori…?" I try to interject. It didn't work, she just talked over me at an accelerated pace.

"Like, what if I was just in the bathroom, trying my hardest to dry off my clothes and hair, worrying about the janitor chasing me, worrying about how long I was taking, and how I was letting everyone down, trying to dry off all the water in my eyes, realizing that the more time I spent trying to dry off the more I was keeping everyone waiting, and remembering how I still had to fill the pitcher, like seriously, _it was really funny!_ "

I anxiously looked between Sayori and the other girls. They were struggling to hide their discomfort. "Here's the funniest part, in my opinion. This one really got me good. After I filled the pitcher back up and walked back here, I passed by _another drinking fountain_ that was _closer_ to the clubroom! Ahahaha!" She slapped her forehead, and I winced at how aggressively she did so. It looked painful. "Like, dummy! All of that could've not potentially happened if I just let Yuri fill it like she always did! Why was I so stupid to as to even volunteer in the first place? I kept you all waiting for so long...!" Her voice cracked as she slouched onto the desk, holding her head up with her arm.

"S-Sayori... " Yuri knotted her fingers together. "I-if it's any consolation… I'll be sure to do it next time…" She squeaked.

"... how about we forget the tea for now and just dive in to these cupcakes I made?" Natsuki offered. "Water takes a while to boil anyways. We can drink the tea afterward as a cleanser or something I guess…!" She shrugged awkwardly.

"Y-yeah, that's a good idea!" I try to agree with some reverent positivity. I'm sure Sayori was upset about everything that just happened, even if she was trying to cover it up. Some cupcakes and some good times were in order…

With everyone in agreement, Natsuki swiftly removed the foil from the muffin tin. There were three cupcakes with white frosting and what appeared to be a variety of crushed tree nuts and peanuts embedded within the frosting. They looked nice…

"Why are there only three…?" Sayori hardly managed to whimper. This wasn't going to be good for her after what just happened... it was evident in her voice, she wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. The frail note of her voice made my insides twist...

Natsuki cringed and squeezed her fists. " _I would like to know that as well._ " She spoke through clenched teeth. She looked between all three of us and her anger seemingly dissolved.

I tried to speak. "I didn't-"

" _Shut up!_ I know you didn't steal a cupcake!" Her rage roared back to life almost instantly. "I know _exactly_ who the fuck took it! Fuck!"

"Natsuki!" Sayori exclaimed. Natsuki glared at her, causing Sayori to freeze up. "I… Y-you… y-you shouldn't swear…"

Natsuki took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, shivering with disdain. "Yeah, I'm sorry… just… nngh..." she paced around, picking up her backpack from where she set it.

"N-Natsuki… what are you doing?" Yuri asked.

"What the fuck does it look like, skippy?! I'm heading out. You can all enjoy your damn tea and cupcakes and books. I don't think I should be here right now..."

Natsuki continued to mutter curses and obscenities all the way out of the clubroom. We were all helpless to just sit there and watch her storm out.

Sayori sighed and covered her face with her hands. After a moment of contemplation she sat upright and rubbed her eyes. They were dry. "MC, you should go talk to Natsuki… I'd do it myself, but I feel like I had a part in making so angry."

"You want me to do it?" I asked hesitantly. "Shouldn't Yuri be the one since you're making them read each other's selections?"

"I'm ordering you as club president." Sayori said dryly, sighing again. "MC, I know you're up for this. I know deep down, you care about others… you can do it. Go help her cool down, okay?"

"Ah… may I come along? I believe I could be-" Yuri tried to get involved but was cut off by Sayori shaking her head.

"I actually need to talk to you, Yuri." Her eyes drifted down towards the teacup I had received. "Privately, if you don't mind, as president to vice president."

The silence in the room was as thick as the tension in the air. I suppose they were expecting me to leave and give chase to Natsuki… no, they were _waiting_ for me to go. What was I going to be able to do to make Natsuki calm down? What if she ran off somewhere and I couldn't find her? And… what about Sayori? I felt a strong urge to comfort her as well, but she told me to go after Natsuki. Well… I think I can at least do _something_ for her before I go.

I stand up with resolve, pushing the chair back. "Alright… if she won't come back for some reason, I'll send a text, and Sayori can have my cupcake."

Sayori's eyes lit up and she gasped, shooting up from the chair forcefully enough that it fell over behind her. "No take-backs!"

Her burst of cheerful energy was inspiring, and I couldn't help but smile in return. "Not in a hundred years…" I vocalize in a low chuckle, loud enough for her to hear walking towards the door. She interrupts my stride past her with a tackle!-wait, it was a hug. I wasn't expecting the sudden force, and I swore I was about to fall over, but I think she was holding me upright. She said "Thank you" into my side before letting go of me. I made sure to find my footing, and watched her pick up the chair she knocked over and gently shove it under the desk. She was blushing. I couldn't read Yuri's expression.

As much as I wanted to say something back or inquire more about the sudden hug, I was still supposed to be chasing Natsuki. But where could she have gone? I didn't exactly have any leads, but I _did_ have her phone number now. I drew my own phone from my pocket as I emerged into the hallway, opening her contact.

I followed the hallway to the nearest stairwell. I didn't see her down the hall in either direction, and logic would assume she would leave the building. Glancing at my phone… should I text or call? If she was on the move there would be a chance she'd miss the one notification from a text message, so I pressed the call button.

I put the device to my ear and listened to the dial tones ring. Before I could realize she picked up, I heard Natsuki's sorrowful voice. "I'm outside, you can't miss me." She hung up on me as I tried to say hello.

Natsuki was already outside, then. She must've ran once she left the clubroom. At least it sounded as if she wasn't on the move... I returned my phone from whence it came and made my way through the school.

* * *

[Author's Note: I've decided that I'd make a rough schedule to try to stick to with updates. Expect the next update on Sunday, and the subsequent one on Wednesday. Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter. It's difficult finding ways to break up what I've written into even chapters that aren't too overwhelming...

I'd just like to say a few things about my story so far: first and foremost, get ready for some Natsuki, since she has a big presence in the coming chapters. And on that topic, the question of 'is MC gonna get shipped?' The simple answer is yes, in the grand scheme of things. The more genuine answer is that things are going to get _kinda complicated,_ as each of the girls get some specific attention in the story. Now you might be asking, _what the heck does **that** mean? _I mean that all the girls will all have some type of sole focus at some point in the story or another; and currently, we're reaching one with Natsuki in particular. But what does that mean for MC? Is he getting the _harem_ ending? The answer to that is a big no. He will eventually end up with one of the girls in the end, as true love would ordain. I'll keep it a secret which one in particular that will be, but anyone who knows me can immediately tell you who it is. But don't worry! Your favorite Doki is still going to get their deserved attention, be it through the ways of friendship or something much more shady!

Stay tuned, I appreciate all the reviews and faves and follows and so on! It means a lot to me that people are interested in my writing! ~Stareo]


	6. Outsiders

There wasn't much of note going on after hours in the school, besides the occasional units of activity in other rooms being used for clubs. Most, if not all of them, made the Literature Club seem dismal in comparison. I passed by some student council members trying to tack up posters on the walls in the commons. The posters said something about the upcoming festival next week. Maybe that was what Sayori needed to talk to Yuri about, since that was sort of a club showcase event.

I finally found myself outside, only to be greeted with a cold breeze across my face. The radio this morning did say it was going to be getting colder moving forward. But if it gets windier, I might have to start wearing my jacket. The uniforms, despite having three layers, didn't do much to stop the cold as the blazer and the shirt were made from pretty cheap fabrics. The vest was cozy, but then again, it was a vest which didn't cover my arms.

Where was Natsuki? She said 'I couldn't miss her,' right? I walked forward, scanning the area ahead of me. I saw some older teens smoking in the parking lot, a publicly affectionate couple on a bench, another pair of student council members, and some others that were just walking by on their merry way. I only saw Natsuki at the very end of my survey, standing next to the corner of the building. She jerked her head to the side once I sighted her, and went around the corner slowly, inviting me to follow.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. This was starting to feel like a pretty long day... In any case, I was still obligated to follow her. I rounded the corner and met Natsuki sitting against the brick wall in the grass median that seperated the sidewalk from the building. She had her knees tucked up against her chest. I didn't know what else to do besides sit next to her.

"So you were the one to come after me, huh?" She said pitifully. "I guess my dumb clichés are best met by Stupid ones." She readjusted herself so she was sitting with her legs crossed underneath her.

"You're damn right they are." I respond simply. Maybe showing that it was okay to curse would make her feel a bit more comfortable about this. "That was kinda cliché of you, to run out of the building like that."

"Yeah… but look who's talking, you chased after me. Stupid." Natsuki punctuated with a play punch to my arm.

"Eh. We read too much manga. What isn't gonna be cliché to us at this point?"

"Hmph. We're already deviating off standard course. If this was some manga, you'd probably hug me and tell me you love me forever or whatever. If only life was so vapid and shallow, I'd be married already. But life isn't like that. Life sucks."

"Yeah, but it's not all bad." I offer pointlessly.

"Eh, sure…"

We sat there in silence looking out from where we were posted. There wasn't much to look at from here. This side of the school bordered an unfriendly forest full of thin trees with jagged branches, some of which were starting to don their autumn colors. There weren't many reasons for anyone to come down this path unless they wanted to take the scenic route around the building. I was considering asking Natsuki to come back inside, but just then she slapped my arm to get my attention.

"Hey, look over there." She pointed at a spot in the forest. I couldn't see anything of note. "There's a bunny over there. See it?" A bunny? I squinted and leaned forward. Sure enough, the spot she was pointing at gave a single small hop deeper into the forest.

"Oh, yeah. I see it now." I waved my hand at it, as if that would do anything... it didn't. I rested my back against the wall.

"What do you think of bunnies?" Natsuki asked me, not diverting her attention from the animal.

"Eh, they're alright. I don't know."

"Oh _come on,_ as _if_ bunnies aren't the cutest fucking thing." I just coughed a laugh at her, and she continued. "I want one. I read that they're sorta like cats in a few ways. Big commitment... but sadly, I couldn't take on any pets as it is now."

"Why's that?"

"Shit sucks. I'm irresponsible as hell. Don't have the money for it. Ah... you know, all the same reasons I don't have a boyfriend or anything. I couldn't really swing having a pet unless things changed... and they're not gonna for a while now."

"I've heard people say that having a boyfriend is like keeping a pet in some ways."

"Gross. And weird. _What?"_ Natsuki looked at me. "Why would anyone ever say that? What sort of freak-"

"I was making a _joke,_ but thanks anyways." I rolled my eyes. I didn't catch it for sure, but I think Natsuki parroted the gesture. "Do you wanna go back inside now? The club's waiting."

"Nah. Fuck that. Let's just go get something to eat. I want some chicken." Natsuki said nonchalantly. I wasn't expecting her to dismiss the club so casually... my shock must've been evident as Natsuki continued. "Oh, grow up. It's always 'the club this,' 'the club that' with you. ' _She's a part of the club, Natsuki!'_ " She mocked me with a less than flattering impression of my deeper voice.

"You're not fooling _me_ , Stupid. You only joined this club because you wanna get closer to some girls. I'm not into that. Because of you, it's hard to really enjoy myself in the club like I used to."

"What, what did I do?" She might've been… _close_ with her accusation, but I don't think so. I was asked to join the literature club! The fact that everyone was cute was just an extra reason to stick around. And I wasn't really _doing_ anything alienating, was I?

"You made Yuri fall in love with you, for one thing. She's got a crush and she won't shut the fuck up talking about it... Did you know she writes poems about you? Ugh. I miss the Yuri that didn't constantly talk about how to impress you or get you to notice her. She actually existed, once upon a time... She was pretty cool." She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "I've even been trying to help her get closer to you! I suggested that she should buy you a teacup! _Me!_ I helped her get your phone number just then! Do you know why I do it? Why I bother trying? Because I think it'd make me a good friend! And you know what! Once it's all said and done, it's gonna be for nothing! I know in my heart of hearts Yuri is gonna toss me to the side once she doesn't need to vent about how fucking _hopeless_ she is!" Natsuki swung her arm to the side for emphasis. "I can tell clear as day she doesn't respect me as a friend! She never asks about me or what I'm up to, or how _my_ day has been! It's always about you and how hot and bothered she is! Do you know how _that_ feels? To care about someone who doesn't give a single shit about you?"

"And then there's Sayori! I don't know what's up with her, but she's wack too! She seems super nice, right? But ever since you joined, every time I've tried to get closer to her, she puts more distance between us, like she doesn't really want to be friends with anyone else! It's like you're the only person she's _actually_ friends with! Am I really such a fuck-up that someone as friendly and outgoing as _Sayori_ doesn't want anything to do with me?"

I was speechless… yet, Natsuki wasn't finished. "All I've ever wanted is just to have a place to hang out with friends, just like anyone else, and I thought I could've had that in the literature club. It was small and I _thought_ it had some interesting people in it that I could be friends with. That was what mattered to me… it wasn't about the literature, it was about them. But I tried my hardest to make friends with everyone, but it _was all for nothing, wasn't it?!"_

There was a lot going through my mind from that whole diatribe. But none of that mattered right now. I had to somehow address Natsuki after everything she said. I'd have to try my best to be reassuring and comforting. "You don't think we could be friends…?"

Natsuki bit her lip and retracted in on herself slightly. "Why do you think I'm telling you any of this…?" She sounded worn-out from all her emotions. "I… you're my last chance at making a friend in this club." She buried her face in her hands. "Ugh… I really _am_ a fuck-up. I've poured out my heart and all my reserved judgments about you and everyone else in the club, and said it was all because of you. You must think I'm an asshole."

"No… I don't think that…" I don't know what to think at all. I had to be in touch with my emotions if I was going to say anything that actually meant something. "Really, it's kinda cool that you're willing to say any of this at all… we could be friends, if you wanted to give me a chance…" Even after saying that, it still felt dreadfully hopeless. My internalization was mirrored by Natsuki's silence.

My vision strayed into the forest, looking for the bunny from earlier. I couldn't see it, but I couldn't prove it wasn't there either. Its fur was earthy enough to blend into the mirage of the woods. The silence around us was chilling... or was that just the air? I was looking for a sign that the world was still moving.

I just wanted some kind of response from Natsuki, to know if what I said got through to her. I just needed some kind of validation... Wait, _validation?_ Suddenly it all clicked in my head.

"You know, Natsuki... you're right. I don't really belong in the literature club… just like you, I read manga and more or less only want to hang out with girls. I don't get why Yuri has a crush on me either. I don't really know what's up with Sayori, too. I just learned she sits alone at lunch earlier today. You and I, we're in the same boat, really."

She gave me a small smile, I could see it from the corner of my eye. I turned to look at her with a sly expression. "And there's another thing you're right about. Forget going back inside, screw that. Let's blow this joint, and get some chicken. I'll buy."

"Heh… Haha!" Natsuki punched my arm again. "Now you're talking! I knew you'd understand…" She picked herself up, dusting off some non-existent dirt from her body. "I mean... whatever, though. Let's roll." She said cooly, offering me her hand as I was getting up. I took it, but I don't think her efforts helped me stand up.

She scooped up her backpack in one quick motion, slinging it over one shoulder. Where was my backpack…? Wait, I left my backpack in the clubroom! That was troubling. I'd have to get that either now never, but if I went back without Natsuki just to grab it… I'd have a hard time explaining myself.

It doesn't sit well with me, but I'll have to forget about it. I'll just... _not_ do any assignments. For a _second_ night in a row. It's at least a preferable alternative to trying to sneak back inside… but _damn_ , the work is piling up.

"So where do you think we should go, Natsuki?" I followed after her as she led me along the path away from the school. There was about a mile of suburbia before there were any commercial blocks. I could think of a few places that had chicken on the menu...


	7. Friendly Game

"I dunno. How much money are you willing to spend?" Natsuki asks without really looking back at me.

"Tch. Don't get hopeful, I'm only getting fast food."

"Fine by me! I'm still dining free."

"Don't make me change my mind." I threaten jokingly.

"You wouldn't. The game has only just started! You can't quit before making the first move!"

"Game?"

"Y-yeah, what, you don't know? You really live up to your name, Stupid."

"What's the game?"

"It's when someone does something for you, you gotta do something back that's better. That way, they'll feel guilty and be obligated to do something back that tops that!" She explained with some vague gestures mixed in.

"Heh. When you say it, it sounds nefarious."

"Yeah, whatever. You have no idea what _I'm_ capable of! Once I get my hands on more baking supplies you'll be treating me to a lot more than fast food chicken!"

I've never been so pleasantly threatened. It was impossible not to smile. "You don't have any leftover cupcakes from that batch, do you? I couldn't get my hands on one."

She frowned. "Ugh, you _didn't?_ Seriously? Because _no, I don't_ have any left over. No batter either, so I couldn't make more."

"What? Shouldn't a recipe usually make a lot more than just four?"

"I only make _enough_ cupcakes, and no extras. It's called math, ever hear about it?" She took a short breath. "Either way, it's hard even getting the chance to make them in the first place. There's usually no milk or eggs in the home-ec fridges, but I got lucky this time."

"Home-ec...?" The Home Economics classroom had a number of test kitchens for student demonstrations. I never found those classes all that interesting the year I had it, but you could occasionally make something tasty if you knew what you were doing. "You make the cupcakes at school?"

"Y-yeah, and? Is that weird or something? I just don't have flour or baking soda or anything at home, but there's always some there…"

"Oh, that makes sense."

"And if I made the cupcakes at home I wouldn't be able to keep my family from eating them. _Which is why there were three this time_." She said with a distant pang of anger.

So it was Natsuki's family that had eaten the fourth cupcake! But wait, didn't Natsuki just say she baked them at school? How does _that_ add up? It seemed as if Natsuki could read my quizzical expression in an instant and sighed.

"I wasn't thinking straight. I _thought_ I could bring the cupcakes home and finish them there, since that was where the peanuts and almonds I decorated the frosting with were. It didn't occur to me to, you know, play it _safe,_ and just bring the nuts to school the next day. I had to make a tough choice anyways, considering how tricky it is storing something in the home-ec room that I shouldn't even be making in the first place…"

Huh. I never thought baking cupcakes was such an arduous task. It reminded me of some kind of illegal drug operation, a lone wolf having to fend off the law as well as all their competitors that want to take them down… except it was over cupcakes instead of illicit drugs. I'm starting to wish I had eaten mine instead of giving it away.

"Have you tried asking anyone if you could bake at their house? They could even help you. You could bond with the other girls that way! I know Sayori would be down, but she'd probably make a mess."

"Heh… That's not a bad idea, honestly." She smiled faintly, but it dissolved. "You know, I really wanted to be good friends with Yuri… but I'm not sure I could spend time with her until she got over her 'thing' for you. It makes me feel like the third wheel in our own conversations sometimes."

I bit my lip. It was obvious Yuri liked me, but was it that drastic? I didn't really think about it that much, but I guess it was kind of an elephant in the room at this point. My brain didn't really know how to respond to the fact that someone was in love with _me_ , so it just kinda suppressed the concept. I was so convinced that it was supposed to be the other way around, because that was the way it had been for the longest time. "Ah… It's a bit hard for me to grasp that…"

"That's what she said." Natsuki said, quickly clearing her throat after. _Wow._ She continued as if she didn't just say that. "It's sort of sweet, in some ways. She... well, for whatever reason, she thinks very highly of you... except, y'know... I think she's fantasizing a lot of the details, since I don't think she knows a whole lot about you. I've gotten a lot of wordy descriptions of your face, though. She finds _you_ attractive." Natsuki said sarcastically as if that fact disgusted her. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you think I should do?"

"If you're asking me, I guess... go for it, dude. What's the worst thing that could happen? Honestly." She shrugged.

"Mmm… but what if I find out I don't like her as much as she likes me?" I asked noncommittally. I didn't know what to be worried about as someone on the other end, but I was still worried nonetheless.

She chuckled. "I think she's gonna find out you're not all she's cracked you up to be. That'll be funny." I make another low-pitched whine. That was so likely it was almost physically painful.

"I guess I want to know more about her… but like, I couldn't just dive into the dating game, right? I always thought it's better to be good friends first. That way, there's no surprises, and we already know it's pretty much going to work out… things can only get better."

"I get that, sort of... " Natsuki looked away but suddenly jolted and smirked at me. "Ohhh! I get what you're saying now! You're playing the long game for _Sayori!_ That's why you haven't made any advances on Yuri…! I should've known."

"W-w-what? That's not true! I mean, I've always liked Sayori, and we've known each other since we were little… and I have a crush on her, sure, but I also have crushes on like hundreds of girls! Yuri included!"

"Heh, yeah, okay, I get it. I believe you." Natsuki said dismissively. "In the end, you can do whatever you want. I just want you to at least give Yuri a chance, right?"

I exhaled through my nose and nodded. We had been walking for a while now as we conversed, so much so that I had lost track of time. We were stopped before a crosswalk, waiting for the signal to change for us the pedestrians. There were no cars on the street anyways, but we were still stopped for whatever reason. It'd only be two or three minutes of walking before some restaurants were open to us.

"Here's an idea. I'll spend some free time with Yuri... _only_ _if_ you can ask Sayori if you can bake at her house." I propose matter-of-factually.

"That's stupid!" The signal changed for us, and we resumed walking perfectly in tune with each other as she spoke. "What if Sayori says no, like she does to everything else I suggest?"

"And turn down sweets from you? Fat chance! I'll even put in a good word for you so she'll be sure to do it." I snap my fingers for emphasis. "And! I'll put in a good word for you with Yuri as well! _If_ you do it, anyways."

"Hmm… heheh… hahaha! Yeah, alright, I'll do it!" Natsuki said with some relief. "I'll put in a good word for _you_ with Sayori, too. Just to make your life complicated!"

"Sounds like a plan." I declare officially. She punched my arm in lieu of shaking hands to consolidate the deal. Her punches never really hurt, since they were just an act. I rubbed my arm as a dramatic reflex, like it had hurt immensely. "Ooh, ah... Thank you for doing business, friend."

She stifled a laugh. "Yeah, you too, Stupid."

I decided that 'Friend' is going to be my nickname for Natsuki… I was hoping for something with more of an edge to it, like Punchy or Smalls. Maybe it was better this way! I couldn't imagine calling Natsuki 'Smalls' and getting away with it easily. Punchy sounded like a pet name, too, so that would probably be weird. I wasn't going to tell her that I decided on a nickname, though. She'd have to piece it together as I kept it up.

The rest of our trek onwards was muted, but short. I recognized a simple and familiar restaurant that Natsuki didn't scoff at when I pointed it out, and we went there. Once we were inside, I swiftly discovered Natsuki had no reservations when it came to using my money, ordering a shockingly large banquet of food. She also ordered for me, despite any protests I had. It was something I wouldn't consider ordering, too…

But surprisingly, I had enjoyed my portion a lot more than I expected to. Our silence from moments earlier was preserved as we ate. I was lost in thought and Natsuki was much more directly focused on eating. Today was a long day, and the day was still young… I decided that I was going to take a cat nap first thing once I got home. I could use that…

I felt a temporary rumble in my pocket. Retrieving my phone to quell my curiosity, I found it was a text message from Sayori asking me how Natsuki was. She double-texted asking if she was going to come back or not before I could respond.

The guilt inspired an itch in my throat. I spied a glance at Natsuki as if to reaffirm with myself that I had decided to go out to eat with her instead of return to the club. I took a sip of my drink to remedy the itch. Sayori must think we're still just outside the school, still talking through our differences. Drinking didn't really help the guilt.

I considered not replying at all. It'd be easier that way, wouldn't it? But I didn't do that. I _couldn't_ do that! I didn't want to feel even more guilty than I already do! I sent a response saying that I wouldn't be coming back either, because Natsuki needed a friend. I also double texted to correct the record, saying that we'll come to tomorrow's meeting, and that today was rough for the both of us.

Natsuki grumbled something and rolled her eyes as if she was bothered by something. Was it because I was using my phone while we were eating…? It's not like we were engaged in conversation or something. "Don't mind me, I'm just trying to explain to the others that we ditched them." My voice was more crass than I had intended it to be.

She sighed and took a thorough pull through her straw, the drink obnoxiously sputtering with air pockets as it was almost empty. "Yeah… I guess there's no denying that we did that. But, you know… whatever. It won't happen again, anyway."

Part of me convinced that Natsuki's dismissive attitude was more of a defense mechanism than anything. Yet, there was still such an honest and consistent conviction behind it that I could believe it was genuine as well... although, nothing ever said those things were mutually exclusive. After long enough, people become their detached defensive mask. Could Natsuki really be so easygoing, or was she hiding how she felt in indifference? I didn't know a whole lot about her.

She tried hard to make friends with everyone in her own fashion, even if it wasn't really working. There was something admirable about that drive... I suppose she wasn't _really_ indifferent about things deep down. But why does she feel like she has to hide that?

In any case, I'm glad that we can be friends now. Maybe I can learn more about her as time goes on. I'm sure we could make good friends, and maybe now that we're going to be friends, Natsuki could feel more comfortable in the literature club...

* * *

[Author's Note: Oohh boy, I'm catching up on my backlog now. But that hopefully shouldn't be an issue. Sorry to date this chapter, but happy Valentines Day, right? Hope it was nice for all of you! This more-or-less wholesome chapter is my valentines for all of you, let's just say. Enjoy that while it lasts, because it doesn't stick around for long!

 _Reviews are greatly appreciated!_ It lets me know people are interested more directly, which is always heartwarming. Please consider! ~Stareo]


	8. Back Home

The rest of Natsuki and I's adventure was woefully uneventful. We conquered our meals, got refills, and left with them in hand. On the way back to our houses, we chattered aimlessly about anime and manga. I hadn't heard of almost everything she said she was following. She reads tons of obscure tie-ins and original manga that usually gets shoved to the side in place of all the bigger established series.

Our conversation was cut short however, since Natsuki's house was along the way back. It was much farther from the school than I was expecting… especially for someone who didn't ride a bike to school. There was nothing special to say about it from the outside, minus what appeared to be a simple DIY broken window patch with paper screen and some wooden boards. I felt bad: the weather was getting colder this time of year. I wondered why the window was broken anyways…

I said my goodbyes with a sarcastic footnote, and she punched my arm one last time before scurrying up to the door and letting herself in. I thought it looked dark on the inside, so she was probably alone in there too. I think we made brief eye contact as she was closing the door, since she hesitated. _Maybe she was starting to feel bad about not thanking me for spending money on her._ Oh, but wait, I forgot the game we were locked in. She'd make it up to me with sweets!

There was nothing left for me to achieve by just standing there, so I returned on my way back home. The wind had picked up a bit with the evening shifting into place. Soon the sun's light wouldn't be around to warm me if I was still outside. I quickened my pace with that in mind.

It was no wonder Natsuki ordered so much food, she probably expends a lot of energy just going to and from school every day. She must've been starving by the time she got home on any normal day! This makes me realize how I took for granted how much shorter my walk was, because the trip back was starting to grate away at me…

I forget how truly sleep deprived I am right now. How was I able to keep going like this after everything that happened today? I surprise myself sometimes… but it wouldn't be much longer before I could safely collapse in my house.

I passed by the school, feeling a drift of melancholy consume me. All the activity that had enveloped the area had died off since me and Natsuki left. Not to mention, _my backpack was probably still in there_. I paused to study the building from the outside, something I never really did before.

Maybe it was the time of day, or the weather, my position, or maybe just my personal bias, but the school looked terribly intimidating. The excess architecture skewered the shape and radiated a strangely oppressive vibe from this distance. It was just a dormant and unmoving hive waiting to be infested with students the next morning. I wonder how many students are dreading when that time comes?

A gust of wind reminded me to stay on course. It would only be another ten or so minutes of walking before I'd be home. Passing by the school I could much more accurately quantify how far I was from home. That's much better than when I was just being hopeful earlier.

The drowsiness was already starting to eat away at me, but I was determined to get home. More than once I considered napping on a bench or a bed of grass, but I still had it together enough to not be voluntarily homeless. This was such a non-issue anyways, because it would all be over once I slept. My backpack and all my assignments, on the other hand, that was a much bigger issue… but there was nothing I could do about it now. How was I going to get it back tomorrow? This was stressful… I'll just figure that out later.

The minutes fall behind me as I trekked onward, but before I know it, I can finally make out my house in the distance. _Finally._ The wind had started to sting after my prolonged exposure to it. I just held my pace as I took it step-by-step, relaxing now that it was almost over. I made it to the front door uneventfully, feeling like I deserved a participation ribbon for my efforts. I could see that the lights were on inside the house… I must've left them on by accident this morning.

I entered the house to the sound of the kitchen radio playing. I left that on too, huh? I didn't recognize the station that was playing, though. I thought I'd turn it off and then just go straight to my room… but then, I promptly discovered that my plan wouldn't be coming to fruition as I entered the kitchen.

Because Sayori was in my house, digging through the refrigerator. _Why today, of all days? Can't I just take a nap?_ This wasn't the first time I've walked in on something like this, given that she'd always come over unannounced when we were a bit younger and when my parents were around more often. She had even done it when I wasn't awake to greet her, but it sure had been a while since the last time she did it at all. What brought her here today? How did she even get inside? Did I forget to lock the door or something…?

"Heya, MC!" She called out to my presence while still hidden halfway in the fridge. "I can't find anything to drink in here! What gives?"

I just sighed. I guess either way I'd be entertaining Sayori for a little while… I didn't have it in me to protest right now anyways. Least of all to my childhood friend. I sauntered over to her side and casually grabbed a can of our favorite soda that I thought was impossible to miss. She accepted it with a guilty expression and a giggle. "Thanks…!"

I took a step back and rubbed my eyes as she cracked the can open. "So, Sayori… what brings you here today?" I ask flatly.

"Oh yeah! You left your backpack behind, so I brought it here with me! I left it on the couch." She pointed with the soda. "Yuri was the one who noticed. I think she might've taken something from it, though, so be more careful in the future!" She swung her finger dangerously close to my nose. "And also? Your backpack is heavy as heck!" Her finger poked my nose. I naturally flinched to the touch. She looked surprised.

"Ooh, your face is cold… you must've been outside for a while!" She set the can down on the nearby counter. "You need something to warm you up!"

"I already ate…" I interrupted her before she could get ahead of herself. I really didn't want her to try and cook something in my house without supervision. "And… I'm _really_ tired, I just want to go to sleep, Sayori."

"But MC! You still need to do all your homework! And I have a lot of things to tell you!" She pouted, looking between me, the rough approximation of where the couch would be, and her soda. "And you're chilly! And tired! And I have just the thing…!" She somehow managed to sound more pouty with every continuation.

"What is it?" I ask begrudgingly.

"Coffee!" She cheered with a newfound smile. "We can drink coffee and work on homework together, and by the time we're done you can go to bed!"

I don't recall ever seeing Sayori drink coffee… I _do_ recall her telling me she had never drank it some time ago. "Sayori, have you ever drank coffee before?"

"I'm eager to try it! Unless coffee cake counts... I think I might've had some once…" she furrowed her brow as she searched her memories.

Despite it all, I was still able to chuckle. "I don't think you'd like it. I also don't think you'd handle the caffeine well…" I trailed off, wandering out of the kitchen to check on my backpack.

"Heyy…!" Sayori called out after me, quickly following my footsteps.

My backpack was leaning on the armrest that secured the edge of the couch. On the opposite end of the couch was Sayori's backpack and a chaotic disarray of messy notebook pages, a large textbook, and a calculator. I sighed through my nose. I should be relieved, and I should be thanking Sayori for bringing my backpack home for me, but… I just wanted to sleep…! Now not only did I not have an excuse to not do my homework, but I was being _openly invited_ to do it, too...

I sat down on the couch beside my backpack, pulling it onto my lap. Sayori plopped onto the couch right beside me, watching my movements as I fumbled with the zippers. "So you think Yuri took something…?"

"Ahah, well…" She tilted her head and touched her fingers together like she always did when she was embarrassed. "It's more like… she definitely took something and I let her do it." She sat upright and crossed her arms at me in theatrics. "It was so we could teach you a lesson! About being more careful!" She held the can to her lips and mumbled. "And it was her idea, so…"

I rummaged through my backpack. Nothing was obviously missing at first glance... "What did she take?"

"Oh, hmm… it was something small... was it a pencil? Oh! It was the pen you made in woodshop last year. With the spinny thing and the sandpaper."

"Aw, really…?" I was proud of that pen, it had been my go-to ever since I built it. We constructed it as a simple demo for the woodshop lathes. The components of the pen were just assembled from a kit, all we did was make the casing by spinning and sanding wood from a solid block to an ergonomic shape. We also stained and treated the wood so it would have a smooth texture and coloring. "Remember when you got banned from woodshop?"

"Eh? H-Hey! Meanie! You promised me you wouldn't bring that up!"

"I promised I wouldn't bring it up to anyone _else…_ " I teased back. Sayori rolled her eyes and set her soda can on the floor. When I looked back down into my backpack I felt an abrupt jab in a ticklish spot on the side of my abdomen, just below my ribs.

"Ack, Sayori-! Don't, I'm… sensitive there." The words had escaped my mouth before I realized I had sealed my fate. That would only enable her to keep going! I placed a hand over the assaulted spot to protect it. But the efforts to dissuade her were futile, and I knew it…

She pulled her legs up onto the couch and began reaching for the spots she knew I was ticklish, which mostly constituted of my sides. I involuntarily twitched to the rhythm of her touch as she groped past my attempts at warding her off.

The jumbled song of our laughter filled the air as she mocked my failing defenses. My legs eventually retracted against my body as I rolled onto my back as a last-ditch effort to stave off the barrage, but it had only minimal effect.

After a minute the tickling had stopped all at once as I heard Sayori let out a contented sigh. I tried to sit up, but I realized that Sayori was more or less sitting on top of me, straddling my legs. I propped myself up the best I could regardless. "Hey, MC…"

"Yeah?" I ask somewhat breathlessly.

"Am I your best friend?"

My breath caught in my mouth. Wasn't that a pretty intense question to ask out of nowhere like that? "Yeah… you've always been, Sayori." I told her as she shifted her weight off my body, allowing me to sit up properly.

"I was just thinking about something…" she muttered in a single breath. Her voice had turned back into the gentle lullaby like it had been at lunch. "Do you think we'll always be friends?"

My heart felt a shock of pain at how melancholy she sounded saying that. She didn't say it out loud, but everything else said it all. She was worried we wouldn't be friends in the future… that was it, wasn't it? I honestly couldn't be confident to say that we would, if we went to different schools for our higher education… "I don't know… it's impossible to know at this point. I can only hope that we're still connected, even if we end up going our separate ways."

Sayori sighed, and slowly drifted her attention away from me into nothingness. I don't know if what I said had any effect. Why was she acting like this, anyways…? I guess she had a bad day today as well, waiting for me in the morning, and with everything that happened in the club today. Maybe she came over because she wanted to end the day with something more positive. I just wish I wasn't so tired…! I needed to gather my strength and keep pushing forward, for her sake.


	9. Sleep Talk

"Didn't you say you had something to tell me? I asked, nudging her lightly and standing up. She jolted back to attention.

"Oh, yeah, I did! For the literature club..." she stood up and followed me as I returned to the kitchen. She seemed puzzled as I started searching the cupboards.

"And that is...?" I invited her to continue as I grabbed the coffee beans my parents always maintained a supply of. Sayori gasped when she saw them.

"Did you change your mind about the coffee?" She asked quietly, on the edge of excitement. I nodded simply in response, which prompted Sayori to jump towards me. She plucked the bag of beans out of my hands like they were rightfully hers. "Let me make it!"

"Do you know what you're doing?"

She looked around at the kitchen as if she was lost inside an enchanted forest. "I'll figure it out...! Just trust me!" She finally spotted the coffee maker in the corner of the kitchen, next to the toaster. "Go get comfy on the couch and get started with your homework. This'll be the best coffee you ever had!

I rolled my head, stretching my neck. "That's because I won't have much to compare it to..."

She pointed at me dramatically with a smile as she shuffled over to the machine. "Ex-actly!"

I laughed shortly as I retreated back to the living room. I guess she'd tell me about her plan for the club after she was done brewing the pot. The couch looked pretty messy now, with my backpack awkwardly sitting in the middle of it besides all of Sayori's homework. The can of soda that Sayori was drinking was still balanced perilously on the carpet, begging to be be knocked over. I picked it up and placed it on the end table, just in case.

While I was at it, I shoved my backpack off the couch and began organizing Sayori's homework. I couldn't begin to interpret what any of the calculations meant, since she was actually in an advanced math class for her age. I didn't even recognize what that symbol on the front end of the almost every equation meant...

I always forget that Sayori is much smarter than I give her credit for. She had what it takes to be in most advanced placement classes, but her laziness prevented her from getting into any besides math. I thought it was odd that out of everything, she got locked in advanced math. She always told me that she thought it was boring and she didn't really care about it... but either way, you needed to be performing well in school to even be allowed to run a club, so it shouldn't come as a total surprise.

I set all of Sayori's schoolwork and equipment on the the end table in a neat stack next to her soda. I pushed her backpack off the couch and next to mine, where they both flopped over upon making contract. I felt like copying their example, so I laid down on the couch and stretched out my legs. I was tall enough to take up the entirety of the sofa's cushions and elevate my legs on the armrest.

As I laid down, I felt the strength in my body diffuse into the fabric as a wave of drowsiness overcame me. _And it felt so right_. I couldn't stop myself from closing my eyes and letting the sensation take control. My breathing slowed, and my muscles relaxed. I felt my consciousness slowly slip away into a desperately needed nap... and man, I welcomed the feeling. It was _about time_.

...

"So you're still asleep, huh...? I should've expected that. Ehehe..."

...

"I went and grabbed your blanket from upstairs. I'll just... yeah, there you go. Nice and comfy. right?"

...

"I finished my homework. Do you know how many times I get to say that, MC? Not very often, eheheh..."

...

"You know how it is. I'm lazy. It's not that I just have no motivation to do close to anything these days."

...

"I might even make myself laugh with a joke like that."

...

"Like how I laughed earlier today."

...

"But, you know I didn't laugh. That was only a metaphor, I guess."

...

"I'm pretty good at pretending, though."

...

"Ah... I'm not going to go home, no. It doesn't matter if I stayed out late. My mom doesn't mind. She wouldn't mind if I wound up dead, really... it might actually make her feel better, all things considered. Haha... but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you...?"

...

"Your parents both love you, even if they're not around that often. I wish I could say the same... you don't know, but my mom didn't take well to being left alone for so long while dad is out on business. She..."

...

"Heh... I shouldn't be talking about it really. It's upsetting... but you're not awake. You don't hear a word I'm saying, do you, MC?"

...

"If only you really knew... I wonder if things would be different. If you knew how I felt... if you knew how things really were. I guess I could tell you right now. It doesn't matter."

...

"She cheats. On my dad, while he's away. She's pretty open about it. Isn't that horrible? That's what I thought. But my dad cheats too. He does the same, and she does it while abusing the money my dad makes without a care in the world."

...

"Isn't that something? I don't even know how it came to this. They're still married, after all. And yet they can't stand each other."

...

"But dad really does care about me, you know...? I think I'm the only reason he's still married. Mom doesn't... care about me, I mean. I remind her too much of him. But she's keeping me here, for some reason. Probably for leverage against my dad."

...

"It feels so bad to be cared about. It causes all these problems, and it makes other people feel bad... and I hate that. I just want everyone else to be happy..."

...

"But..."

...

"That's easier said than done, haha..."

...

"I let everyone down today. The club meeting was a disaster. It was supposed to be nice, but I ruined it. I made everything about me, and then it got ruined. I was selfish."

...

"Thanks for the cupcake, though. You really shouldn't have."

...

"Natsuki texted me earlier. She said we should hang out. That was because of you, wasn't it...?"

...

"I wish you didn't like me. It'd be so much easier that way."

...

"I wish..."

...

"I didn't like you so much, either..."

...

"Hehehe... sometimes I wonder how often people think about me. How many times do I pass through someone's head..."

...

"I think about you a lot. I wonder what to do about you..."

...

"The thoughtful part of me just wants you to make friends with the other girls instead of me. So you could forget about me... so you wouldn't care about me."

...

"But the selfish part of me just wants you for myself... after all... you always made the dark days feel a little brighter. I don't know what to do..."

...

"I was talking to Yuri earlier. I didn't know you gave her your number... she really likes you. Probably a lot more than me, in some weird way."

...

"It made me feel so upset, to hear her gush about you. It felt like something I had spent so long building was being knocked down... it felt like being stabbed in the heart. So I came over."

...

"I didn't expect you to fall asleep, though."

...

"You're a good listener when you're asleep. Ahah..."

...

"I was expecting to spend some quality time with you, you know...? Maybe we could've... I don't know, had a moment together? I didn't know what I was doing... I was being selfish, in any case. I shouldn't have bothered..."

...

"I don't deserve anything from you, least of all... something more... Eheh... heh... hic..."

...

Sniffle.

...

"hic..."

...

"Why is everything so complicated, MC? Why can't I... why can't things just be easy for once? Hic..."

...

"Why does it hurt so much... why am I so selfish? Why can't I just do the right thing for once...? I let everybody down, and even just by existing I make people unhappy..."

...

"Why does my brain have to tear itself apart like this?"

...

"This is just the world punishing me, isn't it?"

...

"hic..."

...

"I'll accept these punishments, like always..."

...

"Sometimes I wish I could disappear... but..."

...

"... you look so calm when you're asleep. I can't even imagine... what it would be like for you, if I just did it..."

...

"I could never hurt you like that, MC..."

...

Sniffle.

...

"What time is it...? Ah... that's a decent nap, isn't it? Maybe I ought to wake you up..."

...

"I'll need a minute to look like I wasn't crying..."

...

"Ahem..."

...

"MC~! Wake up, sleepyhead~!"

!

I... what the hell? What is that noise? Is that Sayori? Why is Sayori _shaking_ me? Where am I?

Oh, _right._ Sayori came over, and I guess I fell asleep on the couch by accident. "H-Hey, stop that...!" She stopped singing and shaking me back and forth. I tried to get my bearings... I must've slept for a while, it was dark outside. I don't remember having my blanket, though... and despite sleeping, I don't feel particularly rested. I'd have to go to bed for real once Sayori left.

I sat up, and tried looking around before Sayori filled my vision. "Your coffee is in the microwave!" Being so close to me, she effortlessly shoved me onto my back. "You stay right there, I'm going to go get it!" She dashed away on a perfect bearing to the kitchen while I sat up again.

It looks like Sayori did her homework while I was asleep. I don't remember grabbing my blanket from my room, so I guess she did that, too. After an odd few beeps from the kitchen, the hum of the microwave filled the air. I folded up the blanket in my arms. "Hey, I'm gonna go bring this back upstairs!"

"I told you to stay there...! Oh, alright!"

I chuckle to myself as I carry the weighty sheet with me. It was awfully considerate of her to bring me my blanket, especially when I was technically being the rude one, dozing off like that. How fortunate was I to end up being friends with someone like Sayori?

* * *

[Author's Note: Sorry about this, I probably should've warned you, ehehe... Now we're in some Sayori territory. Hopefully it won't be too cringe or obnoxious or anything...]


	10. Handle With Caution

I had to wonder what Sayori must have been doing for all that time while I was asleep. She finished her homework, and brought me my blanket, but what else did she do? I guess she already drank her coffee, too. I'd have to apologize to her later about that. What kind of guy falls asleep when they should've been entertaining a guest? On the other hand, maybe I should be thankful that she let me sleep for a while instead of waking me up straightaway. Even though that was probably for worse, not for better. But it was the thought that counts.

I entered the opened door to my room. It was… a lot cleaner than I remember. Did Sayori seriously clean my room for me? I thought that _I_ was the one who cleaned rooms around here… maybe she did it as payment for all the times I cleaned her mess of a bedroom for her. I set my blanket on the foot of my bed, opting to fix the covers later.

I looked around, taking in the sightly organized room... the shelves were all organized, the books straightened... were they in alphabetical order now, too? She really outdid herself… What else did she organize? The clothes in my closet looked tidier, even though I couldn't really point out how. The desk seemed… _the desk._ I didn't notice it earlier. It stuck out so obviously, I have no idea how I missed it.

On the desk drawer that I had hid that strange letter in... on the handle of the drawer. A long white ribbon was tied into a bow on the handle. Did she do that? Where would she even have gotten a ribbon like this? _And why would she have placed it there, of all places?_ I grabbed the loose strand of the ribbon and tugged it. The knot didn't give, but the drawer pulled open.

There was another letter in the drawer, on top of the remains of the first envelope. Same wax seal and blank description. Thousands of different emotions swirled around in my chest, fear, realization, confusion, concern, mystery, all of them slowly draining away until I couldn't feel anything besides the paper in my hands. I tore the envelope open and pulled out the letter, unfolding it plainly. This one already had a lot more written on it compared to last time. I could already tell it was the same handwriting as the last letter.

 _Thank you for keeping my last letter! It means so much to me... but, I already knew you would keep it. I knew you would understand me. That was sort of the point. I hope you like what I've done with your room here! I really love what you've been doing with it, bar the messiness. You've got great decorating skills, and a nice library of classic stories and manga. I can respect that. I always had a petty taste for literature, but I'm a busy bee most of the time. It's nice to unwind and read every now and then, isn't it?_

 _I had a funny feeling this was the right place. There was always something about you that stuck out to me, but I didn't know what it was at first. It was really peculiar! In even the biggest crowds of people, I could always pick you out. I always could recognize your voice above everyone else's even from a considerable distance. I knew where you'd be sitting each day... I could look at a classroom, and I'd know if you were in it before I could physically see you. What I didn't know was why I was always able to do that._

 _I read a book that asked that same question. It said being able to recognize someone with perfect accuracy from anywhere, that having that familiarity with someone? That was how you knew you were in love. I think I agree with that... but I believe that there is something more to it, beyond that. Do you see it, too? Do you see what I see?_

 _What is it about you, what is it about someone that stands out so much compared to anyone else? What is it that sets them apart? Is it really simply because they're your soulmate?_

 _Or is it because you're real?_

...

I allowed the letter fall out of my hand, and watched it glide onto the floor with a random elegance. _What… what was this?_ Was this some kind of twisted joke? I could understand that if it was only the first letter alone, but…

My thoughts were starting to obfuscate in my head. It was like channel static. I could barely string a line of thoughts together… I sat down on the bed, bringing my knees to my chest and holding my head. I had something of a migraine, and a sick feeling in my stomach. All this because of a letter? No… it was something more humoral, I couldn't begin to interpret it. It felt like the world was out of balance.

The emotions weren't coming to me, but I knew what I was _supposed_ to be feeling. I was scared, petrified even, but my body didn't express that in the way it was supposed to. It just made me feel sick, and nothing else. It was almost as if the connection between experiencing and expressing was cut...

I had to think... it hurt to try, but I had to make some kind of rational sense of this. Someone wrote that, and left it there. Who? _How?_ Did Sayori do it, like I had first thought she had cleaned my room? No... she couldn't have. Sayori's handwriting doesn't look like that, and she never would've had the opportunity to sneak the first letter through the chute yesterday. But how did this get in my room?

It struck me. It was the same reason Sayori was able to get in with my backpack. _I left the door unlocked this morning_. Someone else had been in the house… and they cleaned my room and left that message there. They had tied that ribbon around the handle of my desk drawer... because they knew the first letter was in there. The new letter even acknowledges that I held on to the first one, so that means... that means they wrote the letter on my desk. Could that be the case? Or did they just have the foresight to know that I kept it, like they imply how they always knew where I was...

If they found the letter in there, then it stands to reason that they rummaged through other drawers as well, even beyond just my room. My headache was killing me. I felt like I could throw up… _what if they found a spare house key?_ What would stop them from coming back when I was home? When I was _asleep?_

At least... there's still a lock on _my_ door, one without a specific key. But what prevents someone from just kicking the door down? I guess I'd better grab that knife before sleeping again... or better yet, _tell someone about this._ I have evidence... sort of.

The letters themselves aren't particularly threatening, I guess… in fact, the second one was romantic, if anything. I couldn't use that as testimony… and what kind of claim is 'someone stole a house key and cleaned my room?' ' _By someone, you mean a maid?'_ Maybe I wasn't dealing with someone who had murderous intentions… but just _who was_ _I dealing with anyways?_ Maybe I could just convince my parents to get the locks changed… or maybe get a simple chain door lock installed.

Through the sting of my headache, I heard some footsteps climb the stairs out in the hall. I froze up. Could this be them now…? _No, you idiot, it's Sayori_. I chuckle at my own paranoid musings. She calls out from the hallway approaching my room. "By the way, MC, I happened to enjoy the coffee! So you're wrong! And I don't feel weird about the caffeine at all! So that makes you double wrong!"

I didn't budge from where I sat curled up on myself. Mostly because I thought moving too much might trip the nausea to the point of _actually_ vomiting, and I wouldn't want Sayori to walk in to that visual.

I felt her presence enter my room quietly, and I felt it stop just after the doorway. It must've been a tough visual for her to take in regardless. Why was her friend now suddenly despondent on the bed, looking like they were bracing for an incoming tornado? What should she do? Should _I_ do something to reassure her? I wasn't even looking at her.

I gingerly craned my head up to face her, something in the back of my brain aching each step of the way. There were no words as my eyes met hers: her expression was unreadably stricken between confusion and sadness. She just sat the mug of coffee in her hands on the nearest surface carefully, without looking away from me.

It felt like hours could've passed in that standoff, but she eventually broke the silence. "MC… what's the matter, ahah…?" she laughed nervously, "Is... was it something I said…?"

"No…" My voice was raspy and hoarse. I cleared my throat before speaking again. "No. Something came over me… I don't know what's going on."

Sayori remained planted where she stood, studying my pitiful repose. The silence was excruciating... I felt like I had to fill the air with some type of sound. "I'm sorry about this. I really don't feel so good... You don't have to stay here any longer."

She seemed to contemplate what I said as I miserably brought myself to burying my head again. "Really… you're better off just going home. I'll get over it."

The next sound to follow my words were that of Sayori's footsteps. Only, they were advancing towards me instead of down the hall. I heard the crumple of paper mashing into carpet as she stepped on the letter I had dropped. She sat besides me, jostling the bed slightly. I thought that the light motion would've been enough for me to throw up, but it thankfully wasn't.

She dwelled on the space we shared, smoothing the wrinkles in the sheets within immediate reach. It appeared as if she was moving idly while in deep thought. Retracting her hand, she finally spoke. "MC, I'm… I'm not going to leave you, especially now that something's 'come over you'... I want you to be happy."

I felt the pressure of her hand grasp my forearm. It was warm, and as such, I became keenly aware of how cold it was in my room. I slowly managed to unwind myself from my defensive posture. She greeted me with another warming smile.

"I'm going to need you to tell me what happened, okay?" Sayori glanced at the discarded letter on the floor. "You can trust me…" She sounded slightly unsure of herself. I was still indecisive about whether or not I should tell her about the letters, but I guess I didn't have a choice anymore…

* * *

[Author's Note: Oh, hold on... it seems I was wrong about my last assertion. How troubling...

In other news, I've been regretfully contemplating slowing down the update schedule to once a week instead of twice a week. Just for peace of mind going forward, right? I want to make sure I have some wiggle room when it comes to the backlog I have ready before uploading. How does Friday sound? Sorry about that... I hope you stay engaged with my story regardless. ~Stareo]


	11. Warmth

"Can you bring me the mug…?" I manage to say. "I think I need something warm." She looked at the mug like she forgot she brought it in here. Wordlessly, she stood up and went to retrieve it. I grabbed the blanket that I had originally brought up here and haphazardly slung it over myself. It didn't feel very comfortable with all the layers of clothing grinding against each other, so I slipped off my blazer. It didn't do much to keep me warm anyways.

Sayori sat down besides me slowly, making sure sure she didn't spill any of the coffee. I accepted the drink, the blanket draped over me sliding off my arm as I took the mug. Judging by the rim on the inside of the cup, she probably spilled a small portion of it on the way up here. I switched hands with the mug to grab the blanket again, but I was distracted by Sayori taking off her own blazer and scooting closer to me. The momentum being absorbed by the bedframe almost caused me to spill coffee on myself as the world swayed, but I was fortunate enough to avoid any mishaps.

She grasped the open end of the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulder so we were sitting huddled underneath it, essentially joined by the hip. It took a moment before I realized how close together we actually were. I held the mug in both hands-the only place I could rest my inside arm would be behind her back or awkwardly hunched forward in my lap. "Ah… Sayori?"

"Shush, you'll be warmer this way..." she spoke carefully and quietly. I tried to get a better look at her, but as it were I could only see a small sliver of her face poking out from underneath her hair. I was close enough to her that I could probably nudge her bow with my nose, if I felt inclined to do so. I just drank the coffee instead, taking a small sip of the hot liquid. I didn't know if it was good or bad as far as coffee went. It was pretty bitter… I think it was just flat black coffee. Is that how Sayori drank it?

We sat in silence like that for a few moments, my hands holding the mug, her hand clutching the blanket, the other hidden somewhere behind my back. I sighed, knowing that what came next was going to be difficult. "I don't really know how to explain this, but… someone's messing with me, I guess. I don't know who, but it's… it's complicated."

"Are you being bullied...?" She asked me in a hush. I wish it was so simple...

"I don't know, I don't think… but it's… it's…" I started to choke up, regaining some sense of emotion that had escaped me earlier. "I don't know how to explain it, but it terrifies me! They've... " I exhale with a shudder, trying to force myself to speak through the cramps in my head.

I felt Sayori's hand find its way across my back. "What have they been doing…?"

It took a minute for me to put the situation into words. I noticed that Sayori's hand was moving in a faint caress along my side… "They've been sending me these creepy messages, delivering the letters to my house while I'm at school…" Her hand stopped moving, locking in place. "... and every time I've read them, something strange comes over me, like the world changes from what I once knew… like nothing I used to know was actually real, but just some... bastardized, false image…"

"MC... "

"And it's a long story, but I think they broke into the house and found the spare keys, and…"

"Wait, what?" Sayori's hand fell off my body, and she shuffled away from me so we could actually look directly at each other, the blanket being discarded. "That's not okay! What the heck!" She paused, looking around the room like we were in immediate danger. "Do your parents know about this?"

"I was going to tell them to get the locks changed…"

"Oh my gosh… you must be freaking out, I know how paranoid you get…! It's no wonder you were such a mess this morning!"

I manage to chuckle in self-pity… because you know what they say, 'it's funny because it's true.'

"Jeez... MC, you're going to come and sleep over, okay? You're going to leave a note, and this'll get sorted out."

... ... ...

"Gee, it got cold outside pretty quickly…" Sayori closed the door behind us once we had made the short adventure to her house.

"It is pretty late…" I copied her as she took off her backpack and mounted it on a coat rack. My attention lingered on the book bag. It was the same one that Sayori has been courteous enough to take with her… it was the same one that has two days worth of incomplete assignments inside of it. I don't know if I even had the time to do any of them anymore… My migraines, while they did feel a bit better now, they were still an obstacle, and I doubt I could do much with that weighing me down.

Sayori gazed upon my backpack with a silent understanding. "... You don't have to do your homework, but I'm willing to help you if you want to do it tonight…"

"I don't think that's important anymore." I mutter, shaking my head.

"Hah, you said it…" We stood there awkwardly, centered around the backpack like it was an art installation. "I'm going to go change into my pajamas. You should change, too." Sayori declared unimpressively as she made her way up the stairs. I just nodded and watched her ascent.

Once she was gone from my vision I collected the clothes I had stuffed into my backpack and searched for a room to change in. There was an incredibly small room behind the kitchen that had a composite washing machine and dryer that would be private enough for a quick change. I switched the school uniform for a yellow tee-shirt with a faded red logo on the chest and a nondescript pair of gray sweatpants. I suppose they would be comfortable enough to sleep in… I didn't actually wear anything besides my boxer shorts in bed, but I couldn't do that now that I was sleeping over.

I emerged from the washroom into the kitchen, and decided to look around while Sayori was still upstairs. Her house was marginally bigger than mine, which I was always a little envious of. All of the appliances in the kitchen were either noticeably new or distinctly old, such as the sleek chrome-embellished microwave that was suspended above a retro stovetop oven that had long since turned yellow. I would be surprised to learn an oven like that still works... I fiddled with the dials, and discovered that it was a gas stove. I don't have much experience with those...

I noticed there was a note pinned to the refrigerator. It was a list of phone numbers with cute doodles next to each one. I recognized the handwriting as being Sayori's from looking at her homework earlier. It seemed that the doodles were symbols for who the numbers were for. There was a pizza next to the first one, what I think was takeout next to the second one, an airplane for the third, then a purse, and then a bow, and finally a heart for the last one. Wasn't the bow number Sayori's cell phone? The heart one was familiar, too, but I couldn't think of what it was. I took a step back and noticed there was a house phone sitting on top of the fridge.

"Heh. I guess Sayori misplaces her phone enough that she had to write the number down so she could call it up with that." I mused to myself.

For whatever reason I felt compelled to peek inside the fridge. Most of the food looked pretty standard, but a good chunk of it was pricey organic wholefood. There was also a leftover pizza box sandwiched above everything. Sayori and her mother must have some conflicting tastes…

But in any case, it looks like they had plenty of milk and eggs… Oh! I should check if Sayori has any other baking ingredients…

I closed the fridge and picked a cupboard to begin my search with. On the inside there was… a lot of microwave noodles. I never would've thought there was this many brands and varieties, but… wow. The other pantries were nondescript, but they did contain a variety of supplies that Natsuki could probably make use of.

"MC…?" Sayori summoned me from the edge of the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

I met her gaze from the other side of the room. She had changed into an off-white button-up and short red shorts that hugged her legs. She still kept her bow on, though. Did she forget it was there? "I was just curious." I admit.

"Are you… are you feeling better?" She touched her fingers together nervously and tilted her head.

"Well… yeah, a bit. I'm still sort of uneasy. Being here is definitely helping… thank you." I trail off unevenly.

Sayori smiled with relief. "Oh, good! Come on, let's sit down, there was something I wanted you to do." She quickly vanished from the doorway. I followed her to her couch, which was considerably larger than the one in my house. Just opposite of it was an active little electric fireplace, and between them was a coffee table with a few sheets of paper and some writing utensils. The fireplace heated the room nicely.

I sat down while Sayori had attended to the items on the coffee table. Before long, she presented me with a paper and a pen. "I want you to write a poem…!" She sounded like she was struggling to say that. Was something wrong…? "Oh, don't look at me like that! It'll be fun!"

I took the pen and paper and looked between them. "Uh… what am I supposed to make it about?"

"You can make it about anything!" She cheered, taking a seat next to me. That answer didn't really help steer me in the right direction… and I think Sayori realized that after seeing my vexed expression. "You could start by thinking of some key words or phrases you want to use, and then write around them."

The pen still refused to move in my hand. Her tip would definitely come in handy, but I didn't have any ideas to be inspired by.

"Think of it like a vessel for self expression! In school, it's never interesting because you're forced to do it for a grade. I want you, and the literature club as a whole, to see it differently!" She announced pridefully.

"What was that about the literature club?"

"I decided that as a club, all of us should write poems and share them with each other…!" She laughed nervously. "I talked about it with Yuri, among other things. She'll bring a poem tomorrow. Now that you're making one, that just leaves Natsuki, and… well, you know how it is. She hasn't replied yet."

"You don't think she'll make one?" I inquire, and she simply shakes her head no. "I think she will. Maybe you should invite her over sometime. I think she'll like having access to a real kitchen for a change."

"Ehh...? What does that mean?"

I realized I just said something I probably shouldn't have. "Well… I learned that Natsuki only bakes so rarely because she can't do it at her house, since she never has the ingredients."

"O-oh… huh." She slouched forward, matching my own posture. "I guess I'll think about it…"

It was strange to see Sayori being so wishy-washy about this. I thought she'd be a lot more eager to host Natsuki… I know I would've been, if it meant getting early access to her baking-fresh from the oven, no less! "You really should. Natsuki would really appreciate spending time with someone after school."

"I'll do it." She blurted defensively. "Let's just focus on writing that poem, okay?"

* * *

[Author's Note: Sorry about the strange division in them suddenly changing houses. In the original draft, the parts are _much_ longer and the transition between locations is the transitions between parts. Between parts 5 and 6, actually. Fun fact! Anyways... I hope this chapter is to your liking. The next chapter is going to include some poetry. See you next week! ~Stareo]


	12. One Late Evening

I tapped the pen against my chin. I really had no idea what to do… it must've just been the fatigue after everything that happened today. I don't know if I could make anything right now... wait, what am I saying? _After everything that happened today,_ I should have tons of things to write about! But how can I sculpt any of that into a poem? That was the challenge here…

"Hey Sayori… do you have any poems I could… I don't know, reference?"

"Well, I... ehehe… I haven't written mine yet, but don't worry about that." She shrugged.

Suffice to say, that was not helpful. Earlier Sayori suggested writing keywords and self expression… it wouldn't be much, but it'd be a start. I sectioned off a box on the side of that page and started writing all the poetic words that came into my head.

 _Sleep, Comfort, Teacup, Gift, Water, Selfless, Friendship, Warmth, Treasured, Promise, Cupcake, Pen, Chicken, Bunny, Plan, Backpack, Heroic, Wind, Chill, Evening, Nightfall, Contrast, Ribbon, Love, Fear, Paranoia, Mystery, Reality_

… _Reality_. I didn't really pay attention to that at first, but the letter I found in my drawer had said something weird at the very end. ' _Is it because you're real?'_ I felt compelled to look around the room that confines me. I looked at Sayori. She was subtly teetering over, trying to read the list of words I had produced. She mouthed the word 'chicken' skeptically, confused as to why it was on my list.

Everything looked real… and I know I'm real. Something seemed wrong, though. It all looked real... but...

I realized that the room was dead silent.

There was no electrical hum, no hissing fire, no breathing, no movement.

It seemed unnatural.

Nothing was moving, and yet the room was spinning. What was going on? I felt… dizzy. Something happened to my eyes… I could physically feel it. Was that what it feels like when your pupils dilate suddenly? My head was starting to hurt again... a cramp in my chest... what was going on? Why do I feel this way all of a sudden? It all felt wrong, the world felt like some kind of spiralling illusion… and it was falling away.

" _MC…!"_ Sayori's panicked voice sent a jolt through my system. Before I knew it, the world was back, and she had me in a tight embrace. "I saw that! What the hell happened to you? _That was really scary, MC!"_

"H-huh? What's gotten into you?" I struggled to look at her, but her face was buried in my chest.

"I saw that… I watched your face just then! I've never seen anything like that… It just…" I could feel a wetness come from her face. She was crying… because of me. "It's like your heart stopped or something! _It's like I just watched you die right before my eyes!"_ I slowly returned the felt… real. My clutch became more desperate as I held her tighter. I was real, and Sayori was real, too. All of this was real… what am I thinking, like _as if_ this was some illusion? " _Everything is going to be alright…!"_ She sobbed into my shirt.

I relaxed my grasp on her, feeling more secure now. "I'm… I'm okay… it just came over me again… but you pulled me back... you reminded me what was real…"

"I don't even know what that means, but don't let that happen again!"

"I won't…" I sigh and pat her on the back tenderly. Sayori pried herself off me and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, but quickly took hold of my arm. She snuggled it closely, as if I would've floated away if I wasn't being tethered down… but maybe that was appropriate right now.

At the very least, that was my non-dominant arm, so I could go back to writing the poem if I so choose. I was a bit hesitant to go back to it, but… Sayori was there for me. I snuck a glance at her. She was still openly distressed after what happened, wearing a pout across her face and clutching my arm defensively. She also looked a little tired…

I took the pen and quickly scribbled out a plethora of words I felt like I wouldn't be able to use, among them being _'Reality.'_ Now this poem business was starting to look more approachable… I just needed to actually choose a subject to write about, though.

Out of all the words, I think I liked _'Evening'_ the best. I decided to go with that for a subject matter. I may be able to use that word as a subject while utilizing a majority of the other words, too. Now that I've gotten this far, the ideas were starting to surface with more vigor… but I realized I was just imagining small strings of words, not an actual poem. I'd better write those down, too.

 _A bunny sat in the evening wind / The chill of the eminent nightfall / A mysterious plot / Solace in solitude / A promise of friendship / Orange Sunset, Green World / Pink Sky, Purple Clouds / A gift of love / Selfless and heroic warmth_

"You know, this poem seems kinda jumbled…" Sayori remarked quietly.

"What was that? H-hey… I'm just brainstorming, this isn't the real deal!" I whine, shaking my arm to jostle her. She giggled endearingly, holding on more tightly. I felt relieved when it sounded like she was happy. Sayori's emotions were always contagious... and it means she's recovered from earlier.

Once we settled down, Sayori yawned and reclined against me passively. "I'm sleepy. Let's wrap this up and go to bed…"

"Not yet...! I think I can finish this." I drum the paper with the pen. Sayori was sleepy already? Didn't she drink coffee earlier? Maybe she's crashing from the caffeine quicker than I thought she would.

"Alright... Eheh... Sorry if this is distracting."

It would only be distracting if I thought about it, and I am trying very hard not to think about it…! I looked over the lines I had written, and organized them internally so I could write a more cohesive story from it. Once that was all said and done, I could finally write it down.

Wait, does this have to rhyme...? Oh, forget it! I had a two-one-two structure in mind, and that's enough!

 _One late evening, I went on a stroll_

 _I always preferred the evening times_

 _The orange sunset behind me, the green world below me_

 _So friendly and familiar_

 _The pink sky ahead of me, the purple clouds above me_

 _So alluring and enchanting_

 _I saw a bunny, sitting on the edge of the path_

 _Its fur shimmered in the wind_

 _The wind was chilling, marking the advancing nightfall_

 _I thought about that bunny_

 _Was there solace in solitude? Was it waiting on a promised friendship?_

 _Did it hide a mysterious bunny plot?_

 _Wasn't the wind cold? Wasn't it going to feel lonely?_

 _I took the bunny in my arms_

 _We weren't going to be cold, we weren't going to be lonely anymore_

 _We would share a gift of love_

 _Selflessly, heroically_

 _We would always be there for each other_

… There, that works for me. It sure wasn't about the evening as much as I had first intended it to be. It ended up being a lot more romantic-sounding. Oh well, can't be helped. "Done." I announce punctually. "What do you think, Sayori?"

"H-huh?" She pushed herself off of me. "Uwah! Sorry…! I wasn't really paying attention that time!" She apologized tiredly, rubbing her eyes like she had just woken up. "I'll read it tomorrow with the rest of the club."

I laugh timidly at her antics. "So you want to go to bed now? I'll just sleep on the couch here."

"What? No, you're gonna sleep on the floor!"

"What are you talking about?" I ask sarcastically. "We're sitting on a perfectly good couch-"

"In my room, I mean." She clarified in her tender voice, grabbing my wrist. "MC, I don't think I should leave you alone tonight, especially after… you know."

"Oh… right." I agree with a quiet nod, looking at Sayori's hand wrapped around my wrist. I swallowed my nerves. Her hand was a lot smaller than my own, I never really noticed that until now. It almost seems as if her hand would've fit perfectly in mine… _wait, I shouldn't be thinking about those things…!_ I curled my lips to keep them from quivering, but I don't know if it had any effect.

Sayori retracted her grasp, likely due to the awkward stare I was giving it. "Ehehe… let's go." She whispered uncharacteristically timid. I nodded with agreement, setting the poem I wrote face-down on the table with the pen on top.

We both travelled up the stairs and to her room. It was about as messy as it usually was, but that wasn't an issue. It didn't take long for Sayori to kick a portion of the dirty clothes on the floor away to make a space that I could sleep on beside her bed. She splayed out a blanket across the floor, took a pillow from her bed and threw it on top, and then lastly dropped another blanket on top of that. She still had at least two blankets on her bed… she had a lot of blankets.

I looked at her collection of stuffed animals. I have some inkling of a memory of us as kids, back when she'd be super excited to show them off to me when she first got them. Some of them I didn't recognize, though, like the dairy cow. I gave it a few pats on the head. It seemed like some of the stuffed animals must've been discarded, since there were a few that stood out in my memory that I can't find. Including the one I gave her for her birthday a couple years ago…

That was just before we suddenly stopped seeing each other as often, if I recall correctly. There was a small gap in our friendship just a few years wide before the beginning of high school, where we didn't even see each other. Then in our first year, we recuperated lightly, and then more so as time went on after that. And now, here I am, looking forward to seeing her in the club she started every day after school, and sleeping over in her room.

Putting it into perspective like that makes me all the more thankful that we're friends. "Hey Sayori." I blurt absentmindedly. Whoops.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Aww, MC... It was nothing, really…" she sat down on her bed. "If you have a hard time sleeping, just let me know, okay?"

"Right, I will." I sat down on the makeshift bed on the floor. Paradoxically, I noticed that they smelled more like Sayori than Sayori herself did. Like some kind of flower, or fruit I couldn't identify as an ordinary student. It probably would've been a beautiful flower, whatever it was. Or a delicious fruit. _I shouldn't think about that._ "Good night, Sayori." I laid down on my back.

"Good night, MC…" She parroted me, lying down herself.

It was silent, broken only by half-awake breaths, and the room was dark. Neither of us were going to be asleep for at least a few minutes, which was awkward. But, I did eventually fall asleep...

* * *

[Author's Note: I actually didn't feel too well about the last chapter, and I suspect that sentiment was shared. Hopefully this and the next chapter stand to make up for it! What could happen next? Reviews are greatly appreciated, still. I consider the feedback seriously! Let me know if there's something wrong, or your thoughts in general. ~Stareo]


	13. Morning Frenzy

I stood amidst a prairie. The grass was as tall as I was, tickling my nose lest I push it away. It was the peak the night, the moon shining high in the sky with the stars. There was nothing for miles, just more grass and more stars. The hills rolled in the horizon, showing nothing but more tall grass as far as the eye could see.

I spun around, taking it all in. The simplicity of it all, how uniform and unsullied the world was…

There was a red spot in the distance. In the sky.

A red balloon that was perfectly aligned with the moonlight. It shined like a star itself, contrasting with the green of the fields and the swirling nebula of the stars.

I starting walking to it, shoving my way past the intrusive blades of grass. As I advanced closer and closer to the balloon, it seemed to lower itself from the sky.

When I reached it, it was floating only a few feet above me. I could touch it, if I wanted to. But there was a sheet of paper attached to the string the balloon was tethered by.

As I claimed the letter, the balloon drifted away into the air, now unbounded by anything, It would float into the atmosphere, until the altitude destroyed it. I waved to it as it joined the stars.

I looked at the paper. It was blank.

But then words started appearing.

 _This is my wish upon a star. The balloon will carry my message._

 _I wish you'd forget about me. I wish you didn't care about me. I wish I wasn't selfish I wish I could just disappear. I wish it wasn't so hard. I wish I wasn't tearing myself apart. I wish things were different. I wish I could go back. I wish I wasn't a disappointment. I wish I could be better. I wish I could be happy. I wish I could enjoy myself. I wish I didn't have to act anymore. I wish I wasn't a burden. I wish I could just make other people happy. I wish I could make you happy. I wish I was someone else. I wish things could be easy. I wish you didn't like me. I wish I didn't like you._

 _I wish you'd say goodbye. I wish I could say goodbye. I wish you wouldn't worry. I wish you wouldn't miss me. I wish I couldn't see you. I wish I could be with you. I wish we could always be together. I wish I didn't Wish for that. And I wish that I didn't wish to not wish for that._

 _I wish I wasn't tearing myself apart. I wish I was happy._

 _I wish it was all over._

With that, the words had reached the end of the paper. I turned it over, and the last wish presented itself.

 _I wish you'd wake me up._

…

I awoke with an attempt at a gasp, but forfeit to a cough to clear my throat from the sleep that was lodged inside. I sat up, my back aching slightly. I was on the floor, still in Sayori's room. She was still asleep, it seemed… The sun was shining through the blinds. Did she have an alarm clock in here…? Of course she didn't. That shouldn't have come as a surprise.

I located my phone from my sweatpants pocket. My leg was slightly cramped from sleeping on it. The time was… seven. Huh, I guess I got an actual night's rest, were it not for that bad dream I had. A lot of the details escaped me, as they tended to with dreams, but I still felt dreary regardless. I remember that I got another letter, or something… but it was different this time.

I looked over at Sayori again. She was still out like a light, her hair and face sticking out from an imposing mound of blankets. _Oh my goodness. She slept with her bow on._ I chuckled to myself. She looked cute like this... I wonder if she ever made that mistake with her bow normally; I can understand if she was changing her typical routines since I was staying over, but I wouldn't be surprised if she slept with it all the time.

Now I was faced with a classic dilemma, one as old as time itself. _Waking up before your friend during a sleepover._ Do I wake her up myself, interrupting her sleep? Or do I just wait until she wakes up normally? What could I do to pass the time… I could make breakfast, couldn't I? Actually, wait, that gives me an idea!

I attempt to sneak out of her room without stepping on anything scattered across the floor, trying my hardest to not make any sounds. If Sayori woke up prematurely, then my plan would be ruined. I left the door to her room cracked open on the way out, as was part of my grand design. I was going to prepare breakfast for the both of us! There were a few potential outcomes to this: Sayori could be woken up by either the noise of the cooking, or she'll wake up because of the smell from the food wafting up to her room. Or, Plan B, I would have to wake her up once it was ready and hurry her downstairs. But no matter what happened, she would still be in for a pleasant surprise!

I already knew what I was going to make since I scouted the kitchen last night. I could easily whip up some pancakes, and maybe a side of something else. The 'something else' was the only thing I was uncertain about. I remember seeing some potatoes in the pantry, as well as some eggs in the fridge… I don't think I saw any breakfast meats or anything, besides some deli ham.

Given that time was a factor, I decided to make eggs as a side. I would have prefered to use the potatoes, but cutting them would probably take too much time if I was going to be juggling pancakes at the same time. Now, should I make them scrambled, over-easy, or sunny-side…? There's nothing wrong with being iconic: so sunny-side it is!

Scrounging around, I managed to rediscover two frying pans, which I set aside on the stove to preheat over the range. By the time I finished making the pancake batter, it should be about ready to use. That is, if I don't mess up or get distracted. I've gotten the batter down to muscle memory at this point, so that shouldn't be a problem.

It only took me a few minutes before it was all mixed together. I left it on the counter for the time being: I was having some second thoughts about my plan. Maybe I should wake up Sayori before I got anything over the fire. I don't think pancakes and eggs have a distinct enough smell to reach her room, much less wake her up. I could be wrong about that, though… but, better safe than sorry.

I hurried up the stairs to her room. After all, I was playing with fire... if I waited too long, the pans would get too hot, and the eggs would cook through too fast. I push open the door, finding Sayori sleeping just as I had left her when I had woken up. How should I go about this?

I held my breath and made my way across her room to the window, and pulled open the blinds. The sun was still rising at this hour, but in a month or two, that would change. Sayori seemed unaffected by the additional light. Hmm… part of me was tempted to just start obnoxiously shaking her, since that was how she woke me up when I was asleep on the couch yesterday. But I couldn't do that to her, not when she seemed so peaceful… What if I kissed her, Sleeping Beauty style? No. _Why did that thought cross my mind? Because she was sleeping and she was… never mind._

I kneeled beside the bed, contemplating what to do. Perhaps the simplest option was the best one. "Hey, Sayori, wake up…" I say gently. Her face scrunched up a little bit, but it seemed like I still had to keep at it. "Come on, sleepyhead." I whisper, nudging her slightly.

Sayori moaned and turned on her side so her back was facing me. I rolled my eyes. Maybe the shaking tactic would've been better at this point. "Good morning, Sayori… get up…"

"Five more minutes…" she whined tiredly.

"I'm making pancakes." I state simply. Upon hearing 'pancakes' Sayori flung herself upright, shedding her blanket armor in one fell swoop.

"Uwah! Why didn't you say so earlier…!" She struggled to get out of bed, almost slipping on the discarded sheets. Amidst the flurry, I noticed that the stuffed animal I gave her was actually in her bed, it wasn't gone! I was glad she kept it. Why didn't I see it earlier? It must've been under the covers. I'll try to not think about that too much.

Stumbling, Sayori quickly orbited behind me and started pushing me towards the door. "Don't just stand there, MC!" I snickered and allowed her to push me all the way into the hallway before breaking off. She followed me down the stairs, but stopped suddenly. "Oh no, I forgot to write my poem last night!"

"Huh? Don't worry about that, you'll have plenty of time to write one." I say with relative certainty, continuing my path back into the kitchen. Sayori eventually joined me, carrying a sheet of paper and with a pen in hand. She sat down at the dining table and yawned. I smiled.

It appears that the pancake batter settled while I was waking her up, so I'd need to revive it with some water and flour to even it out again. Hopefully the pans wouldn't be too hot by the time I got to them, because I was really pushing it now…

I sprayed one of the pans with the nonstick oil, took two eggs from the refrigerator, and cracked them open into the pan. _Oh great, they're definitely too close to each other._ I'd have to deal with the consequences later. I left them to sizzle while I revived the pancake batter.

In no time, I had the pancakes going in the other pan. What else did I need to do right now? Damn it, I completely forgot to set the table, and I had to set out the butter, and then _there was probably something else that didn't come to mind…_ This was stressful. I looked over at where was Sayori sitting. She was watching me, resting her cheek in her hand with a sleepy smile. Seeing her smile like that… I felt like I had this covered, no problem.

I quickly found a platter that I could stack the pancakes on. I could make a stack of about 6 with the batter as thin as this… I wonder if we could even eat that much. But now wasn't the time for wondering, now was the time for action! I found a tower of ceramic plates and delivered two of them to the table, followed by two glasses, and finally followed by pairs of forks and butter knives. I had to take off the first pancake in between those steps, and pour the second one...

I had to put a stop to the table setting frenzy for a moment, since the pancakes and eggs were going by quickly with the pans heating up. What was the sign for cooking sunny-side eggs again? I remember learning that in home-ec: It was when the whites were solid, but the yolk was still runny. Ahh… I guess it was time for that, then. Even though the eggs looked like they were fused together. _Damn it, do I need a second platter for this?_ I took the pan off the range and set them on a cooling rack for the meantime. I wonder what Natsuki would think of this… probably nothing good.

Sayori giggled behind me. "You make a lot of silly expressions while cooking, MC. You should just focus on the food, alright? I'll take care of the rest." She squeezed by me, opening one of the cupboards next to the stove.

"O-oh, alright... " I sigh with some relief. Sayori pulled out a jug of syrup from out of the cupboard and closed it behind her as she brought the jug to the microwave. The sound of the cupboard door closing reminded me what a mess I was making of her kitchen... I left a lot of said doors open. That was just part of the package, I guess.

Sounded like Sayori was microwaving the syrup. That was actually pretty clever... Why did I never think to do that myself? I'm just going to pretend like I was planning on doing it before she helped me. As I continued to produce pancakes, Sayori saw to the rest of the preparations. She brought the butter to the table, grabbed milk from the refrigerator, and lastly a twisted bag of miniature chocolate chips. "These are for me," she said with a goofy wink. "But I'll let you try them on one of your pancakes."

She reclaimed her seat at the dining table now that everything was set up. In no time at all, I finally shoveled the sixth and ultimate pancake onto the stack. I had my doubts that the first few were as warm as they would've been served fresh... I should have just served the first three to Sayori directly instead of this stacking business, but it's too late for that now. At least this means we could eat together. Not to mention, the eggs should still be hot. They were off the range, but the hot pan should've kept them warm all this time. _Or overcooked them, but I can't really complain about that._

I ferried the pancake tower to the table, followed by the pan with the eggs. I was glad to see that Sayori had also brought the pepper grinder, since I liked pepper on my eggs. As we both served ourselves, I notice that the paper Sayori had brought to the table earlier had what I assumed was a completed poem on it! I was envious of how she wrote it so quickly. I'd wait until the club meeting to read it… and it wasn't because she flipped it over once I started looking at it, even though that was a big reason why I couldn't. It was because she said she was going to wait to read mine too!

I brought my plate to the opposite side of table and sat directly across from her. She was already a quarter into her first pancake by the time I was situated properly. "This is all really good, MC!" Sayori declared after washing down a bite with some milk. I dug into my own plate… My appraisal of my cooking? I felt like I've made better. It probably would've gone better if I was more prepared. _And not subconsciously drowning with dread about everything that happened last night._

¨I've never had pancakes that were this thin before. It's kinda interesting! Plus, the eggs are a nice touch." She continued with the praise. "We should do stuff like this more often…" She trailed off into her food.

"Huh? Well, I mean…"

"Ehh? I-I wasn't being serious! I mean, I... I wouldn't ah… that would be really selfish of me!"

"I wouldn't mind…" I tried to sound cool saying that, but achieved the opposite effect. I sounded like an idiot.

"Please, forget I said anything about that…"

I sighed. I was the one who shouldn't have said anything. I wanted to disagree, but we dropped the topic. I had trouble admitting it, but I guess this sleepover was conditional. None of this would've happened if I didn't reveal that someone might've had a key to my house. Something about that felt sour… Sayori must've thought so too, since her eating had slowed down demonstrably.

I finished my portion of breakfast and rinsed my plate into the sink. I looked around at the mess that decorated the kitchen. It looked like a whirlwind blew through the area. "You can leave it." Sayori said, sensing my shame. "Someone will clean it up eventually." For some reason that didn't really reassure me. But I understood her angle: we wouldn't have the time to clean up, at this rate. Cooking took much longer than I had anticipate, and school was only getting closer.

"I'm… I'm going to go get ready." I say to my feet.

"Okay. It'll take me a little while before I'm ready, so you should just go on without me." She spoke in between bites.

"Don't be ridiculous..." I grumble, waking into the washroom that was behind the kitchen. I push the door closed and hesitated before changing out of my clothes. Something was strange about Sayori now. The atmosphere had taken a nosedive in just one short interaction across the table. Where there was once a domestic and peaceful feeling in the air, now it seemed tense and uncomfortable. I was at a loss for words… I could only hope that was temporary. I was getting used to the former. But I reminded myself, all of this was conditional.

As I was in the middle of changing, a strange rumble and hiss reverberated throughout the washroom. It sounded like the kind of sound that would come from the boiler room in my own house, but I never really spent that much time down there. It was noisy, but not too jarring otherwise. I finished changing, threading my tie underneath my vest, and exited the washroom.

"Sayori?" She wasn't where she was last sitting. Her plate of food was left abandoned, about half a pancake remaining there. I frowned. She didn't respond to when I called her name just then... I noticed the additional white noise from the washroom wasn't the only new sound in the air. I think I'm hearing the shower running upstairs.

I guess that meant Sayori was in the shower, there's no telling how long she would take. I had no frame of reference, but looking at the clock… we would definitely be late again. Maybe I should just go without her… I don't want to miss too much school. _No, that would be mean._ I'll occupy myself while I wait for her to get ready. There was a chance I could clean most of this up…

And most of it _did_ get cleaned up. There was just the dishes themselves remaining, and the pan for the eggs. I decided to leave them, because… well I didn't really have a _good_ reason per say, but… come on, I was the guest, wasn't I?

I should thank Sayori and let her know how much I appreciate what she's done to get me through the night. After all, the night before I had missed sleep completely. It probably would've been more of the same if she didn't step in. Even now, I realized I was getting spooked more easily… but that could just be the effect of being alone with my thoughts. It'd help if I had something to listen to.

In a few minutes time, I met Sayori as she sauntered down the stairs in her uniform after having freshened up… as far as Sayori went, anyways. It made me a little self-conscious about how long it had been since I had last showered… She rubbed one of her eyes and yawned. I noticed that her bow was obnoxiously crooked compared to how it usually was… _wait a second, her eyes were red._

"Hey MC…"

"Sayori are you alright? Your eyes…" I point to her. Her eyes widened like she realized something. She rubbed them again.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine… I got shampoo in them. That's all." She shoved past me to the foyer and grabbed her backpack. "Let's get going."

"Wait a second! I uh…" _Why did I shout that. Rocky start._ "Before you put that on, I just wanted to say something."

She looked down at her backpack, then back up to me with a curious expression. She dropped the bag onto the floor.

"I really need to thank you for having me stay over… and apologize if I made things weird earlier."

"Aw… MC, I should be thanking you. You woke me up and made me breakfast! And don't apologize to me, that was my fault. Really… the truth is, I wouldn't mind doing this again." She sighed and rubbed her shoulder. "If it's not too inconvenient for you, anyways… I don't want to be too much trouble for you."

I felt the relief flow through me like a dam breaking. "We could make arrangements, if that's the problem." I say out the side of my mouth awkwardly. "Just don't worry about it too much… I wouldn't mind either... " I fumble with my hands, feeling unsure of myself. What do I have to feel unsure of, anyways?

"... Alright." She said with a slight smile. "I can look forward to that." I held my arms out to the side as as she finished, inviting her to hug. Her smile widened before she dived and wrapped her arms my scarecrow stance. I held her in turn.

We stood there for a few seconds, and then it was over just as quickly as it came. I adjusted her bow for her, she fixed some of my hair, she grabbed her backpack, I grabbed mine, we grabbed our poems, and then we headed off to school together. _Like a perfect couple… of friends, I mean_.

God damn, I'm such an idiot sometimes. At this rate, my feelings for Sayori are going to become a real issue for me… didn't I make a deal with Natsuki to give Yuri a chance? Should I uphold that? Were my feelings actually real, or was this just a product of everything that's happened? Is that what feelings _are_ , or is there something more that I don't have? Why does this have to be so complicated?

* * *

[Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed a longer chapter! Not much to say this time, but I really appreciate everyone that's kept reading this far. It means a lot to me that people are enjoying what I make. Ever since the story reached +50 story follows I've been thinking about ways to celebrate that... and one of the things that came to mind was making art of some of the scenes! I'm not the greatest artist, but I'm fairly competent. I'd like to hear suggestions. Whenever I do make something inspired by this, I'll let you know in the next update, as well as where to find it. Thanks for reading! ~Stareo]


	14. Association

The walk to school was hastened by the low temperature outside. I never had the chance to check up on the weather this morning, but it seemed the last forecast was still accurate. The distance to school never changed, but for some reason the walk felt like it was a bit shorter, even as we were hurrying along.

Once Sayori and I made it to school, we said our goodbyes and went our separate directions. She tried to give me another hug, but our backpacks made it kind of clumsy. It seemed as if physical contact was starting to become more of a regular thing between us as friends now. That was probably nothing to look into, since Sayori was never shy to do that with the girls in the club. We also used to do that as kids a lot, before we started getting older and more conscious about each other… in any case, I welcome the shift back.

There weren't as many students out in the hall, so that means classes must have already started. But as it turns out, I was only a few minutes late for my first class. My teacher rolled his eyes at me when I came in. He made a point of stopping me after class and asking me where I was yesterday, since I had attendance in other classes. I told him it was because I was late then, too… I don't know what he was expecting to hear, but he looked at me suspiciously anyway. Or was that vitriolic disappointment? I couldn't tell.

Similar patterns were laced throughout the other classes I missed yesterday. Before I knew it, it was time for lunch… today had been moving much quicker now, especially when compared to yesterday. Maybe it felt slower back then because of the friends I see in and out of the club? Strange… and here I thought the saying was 'time flies when you're having fun.' When really, it just depends on if you're paying attention or not… maybe I could write a poem about that?

I sat down at an empty table with my lunch. I was among the first few to the cafeteria this time around, since the class I had before it dismissed us a few minutes early. It was always a little nerve wracking to watch everyone pour into the lunchroom when you're already situated there… but hey, if I was one of the first ones, then that gives me a chance to invite the club over! I take out my phone and organize a group text to all three of them: "Come sit with me during lunch!"

For some reason I felt dirty about the exclamation point. It seemed awfully… perky. If I had to describe myself with any number of words, perky would not be one of them. I chuckled to myself and paid some attention to my food. If I was lucky, someone would eventually join me. Would it be awkward if I looked around for them? I should just keep my head down, so I don't look desperate.

"Hey Stupid! Got your text." Natsuki's voice suddenly sounded off before me. I looked up and saw that she had sat across from me. She didn't have a tray with her, but she had a free cheese sandwich in her hands. Those were the sandwiches the school was required to give you when you didn't have money for the lunch lines, made from a slice of yellow cheese and two sad pieces of whole-wheat bread. Natsuki must have seen me staring at it. "Don't knock it 'till you try it, Stupid…"

"I have tried it, and they're awful." I snicker. "Here, you can have my food." I slide my tray across the table to her. I could just make something to eat for real when I got home anyways. Natsuki quickly exchanged glances between me and the tray with a flustered expression.

"Wha... _What do you think this is?_ When did I ever say I wanted what you were eating?" She grabbed the tray and pulled it towards her in the face of her protests. "B-but… thank you anyways."

"Don't mention it, friend." I say with a smirk.

"Oh, you have my word. I'm not mentioning this to _anyone."_

There was a minute of silence as she ate. I randomly decided to scan the area before me, and caught sight of Yuri watching us from a small distance with her hands behind her back. She seemed apprehensive, so I smiled and waved her over to sit with me and Natsuki. Natsuki copied the gesture once she realized what I was doing.

"Ah… Hello, MC. Natsuki..." Yuri looked between the seats besides me and Natsuki anxiously. She waved her hand in a single gesture, and from behind her back produced a silky lunchbox. She fiddled with the handle indecisively.

"I knew this would happen…" Natsuki mumbled towards me. "Hey Yuri, why don't you have a seat next to Stupid?"

"O-Of course. Pardon me…" Yuri stepped towards me, and placed her lunchbox upon the corner of the table. She sat down besides me, took a deep breath through her nose, and cleared her throat. "MC." I noticed she was saying my name more like the others now. "I'd like to apologize, if I ever did anything that made you uncomfortable these past few days…" Her face seemed solemnly concentrated on what she was trying to say, and nothing else. "I realize that I may have been behaving a bit… unbecoming, of someone such as myself. I intend to rectify that."

Was she apologizing about being so nervous around me? "Uh… you don't have to apologize, do you?" Her expression faltered as I spoke.

"W-well... I believe I do! I subscribe to the idea that I'm in control of my actions, and recently I had been acting against that... I suppose I might be apologizing more for my sake than yours... you understand, don't you?"

"Sure…" I agree mindlessly. I don't think I actually knew what Yuri meant by that. What did she mean by being in control of her actions? In any case, she seemed pleased with herself for getting whatever that was off her chest.

"So where's _my_ apology?" Natsuki butted in snarkily.

"Ah… ahaha. I suppose I should apologize to you-"

"- _You suppose you should?!"_ Yuri began but was quickly interrupted by Natsuki's sudden outburst. "Did the thought only _just now_ occur to you? You _selfish motherfucker?"_

"Natsuki…!" I hope to break things apart before they spiral out of control. I can understand why Natsuki would be so upset, based on what she's explained to me, but was this intensity really necessary? "You… shouldn't swear like that."

Her icy glare soon melted as her eyes met mine. She rubbed her cheek. "I'm… I'm sorry, okay?" Natsuki squawked with defeat in her voice.

"No…! I deserved that." Yuri responded declaratively. "The other day I was made cognizant of how poorly I had been treating you all this time. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me for that… "

"Oh, don't worry… I forgive you, Yuri. I'm sure I'd do the same thing in your position… maybe." Natsuki breathed the words out noncommittally. She looked towards me briefly. "Probably not, actually."

"Ahaha… you'll understand when you're older." Yuri chuckled. Natsuki slapped the table with a grumpy expression.

"Hey! Don't make fun of me! I'm-"

"Hello girls! And MC!" Sayori sang out approaching the table, downing out Natsuki's comeback, She quickly sat herself and her tray in the last quadrant next to Natsuki. We all spoke our greetings in tandem. "Did I miss anything while I was in line? This was a good idea, for us to all sit together!"

"You didn't miss anything important. I was actually waiting for you to show up before mentioning anything." Yuri spoke for us. Part of me thinks Yuri spoke up so we wouldn't mention her apology, but that was just a baseless hunch.

"Did you all write poems today?" Sayori asked us all, but she looked at Natsuki. Yuri and I nodded-I don't know why I nodded, Sayori was there when I wrote mine-and Natsuki was finishing a few bites of food.

"Yeah, I've got one." Natsuki affirmed at last.

"Good…!" Sayori cheered. "We don't have to talk about literature or anything right now, since we're just having lunch. Just so everyone's clear! We're going to share the poems during the club meeting."

"You better get ready to be amazed. Mine is great. It's full of _turgid thoughts_ and _scintillating ideas..."_ Natsuki boasted into her milk carton.

"Me too!" I chime in. Natsuki surged forward like she was going to spit up from laughing with drink in her mouth. She was fine, though.

"Damn it, Stupid, I wasn't expecting someone to know that reference!" She laughed, scolding me. I smirk back.

"Hey MC, where's your lunch?" Sayori asked me innocently. I offered a shrug.

"I filled up on breakfast." I say. Sayori giggles knowingly.

"Did anyone else read…" Yuri began, but stopped herself shyly. "... er, I guess not. MC, did you hear the news about the closed private school? They're repurposing it as an office building for a medical center, if I recall correctly."

I remember hearing about the private school closing last summer due to financial mismanagement. A good number of the students there had to start going to this school instead, at the behest of the parents of all the students, and the students themselves. I explained that was all I knew about it.

"Serves them right. Buncha rich kids with big houses… they can take the bus." Natsuki commented spitefully.

"Ahah… well, I suppose you don't know, but I was among the displaced students." Yuri laughed nervously. Natsuki's expression fell into a comedic shock.

"Ohh really? I was just kidding, they're not _all_ bad, haha…!" She tried to play it off as casually as she could. Sayori and I struggled to keep our laughter in check.

"I never knew that about you, Yuri." Sayori added simply, surpassing her amusement.

"I didn't want to say anything earlier, because I believe that the girl who attacked other students was _also_ from the private school."

"Oh, that's just a coincidence. That isn't indicative of anything about you, Yuri." I say, intending to reassure her.

"I consider it guilt by association more than anything... most, if not all of the ex-private students are at odds with the other students already. I don't think this incident is going to do the relations any favors…"

"Well, for what it's worth, I consider you one of us!" Sayori smiled.

"Likewise." I add. Natsuki nods in further agreement.

"I didn't know you were a private kid, so there's that!"

Yuri blushes and thanks all of us. We all continue chattering throughout most of the lunch period. To be honest, I ended up zoning out at a few points. They talked about some movie that I haven't watched, and despite me confessing that much, they still spoiled the whole thing anyways. But that wasn't important to me, as I doubt I'd ever watch it. Natsuki also didn't watch it, but she was pranking us by pretending like she had. She got pretty far in the conversation before Yuri had caught on that she never saw it.

At some point Sayori got Natsuki's attention. "Hey Natsuki… since I like your cupcakes so much, I was considering learning a thing or two about baking... Do you think you could come over some time and give me a hand sometime? Ehehe..."

"Oh, well, sure! Yeah, I can do that…" Natsuki entertained her with some of the finer details about meeting up. She snuck me a sideways smile before getting more engaged with the conversation. I guess that was Natsuki's side of the plan out of the way… I was more proud of Sayori for stepping up, especially when she had seemed so apprehensive the night before.

That just leaves me to fulfill my side of the deal. I know Yuri _definitely_ wouldn't be the one to step up, though. After all, she hasn't texted me once since getting my number. Maybe that was my fault, since I never texted her either.

I clear my throat. "Hey Yuri." Great, I spoke prematurely again. What was I even going to say? I don't think I had what it takes to just ask to hang out right then and there. Besides, I really couldn't have anyone over today, what with all the homework I still need to catch up on. "What do you usually do after school…?"

"Ah… w-well, I go to the literature club… but I probably didn't need to say that. Um... " Yuri had blushed when I asked the question. She could probably infer what the point of me asking that was. She scratched her wrist through her sleeve nervously. "I uh… I take the bus…" Her eyes darted towards Natsuki quickly. "... and well… I honestly don't really do much outside of school or the literature club..."

"Mmhmm. I mean, I don't either. But don't you have any hobbies? Like, what do you do when you get home?"

"Hm… I read, of course… and sometimes I write. Mostly poetry. N-not really about anything in particular, just whatever happens to be on my mind. Sometimes I help my grandparents around the house… and sometimes I go out. But shopping online is easier, ahah…" She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I never made any friends at the private school, so I'm usually left to my own devices."

I hum in acknowledgment. It sounded like, even if only a little bit, Yuri was more comfortable speaking now. But… even if she was the most comfortable she could have possibly been, no chance she'd respond smoothly to what I was about to say. "Maybe you and I could do something after school sometime…"

"I uh…!" Yuri's face and ears quickly went bright red-brighter than before, and her breathing stunted. It appeared that Natsuki and Sayori had wrapped up and were watching the two of us intently. "Th-th-thank you for asking… I would like that! Ahahah…" Yuri fidgeted in place, indecisively throwing her hands around herself. In one quick motion, she scooped up her bag lunch and stood up with it. "L-Lunch is ending. I need to go get some air."


	15. Tied Up

"Lunch doesn't end for at least a few minutes, Yuri…" Natsuki called out vainly. It didn't matter, since Yuri had already began racing out of the cafeteria. Sayori frowned with a serious inflection and stood up as well.

"I have to go check up on her… MC, can you take care of my tray? Thanks." She followed after Yuri before either of us could say anything. And just like that, it was back down to me and Natsuki, like how lunch had began... except now it was weighed down by the pretense of what just happened.

I pulled Sayori's tray over to myself and poked at it. She had a lousy school pasta dish and a side salad with the tomatoes picked out. I don't think I'd be eating either of those. I looked up at Natsuki eating hastily. I put the tomatoes back in the salad and quietly slid it over to her. She accepted it in a similar fashion.

"What do you think that was all about?" I ask Natsuki, tracing the direction that Yuri and Sayori ran off to.

"Ahh… I think you hit her in the right spot." She shrugged, ignoring the suggestive weight of her words. "I don't know about Sayori though."

I managed to chuckle. "Well… hey, looks like we're making progress on that deal of ours."

"Yeah... We're ahead of schedule. I didn't think either of us would go through with it."

"I convinced Sayori to do it."

"Hah! Is that so? That's just great. She really must not have wanted to do it, then..." Natsuki scoffed deprecatingly.

"I don't know about that, really."

"Eh?"

"I think she might be a little... _afraid_ of you, or something." I don't really know what it was for sure that had Sayori so hesitant last night. "Just make sure she has a nice time for me, okay…?"

"Yeah, I will… don't worry." She looked to the side now that her tray was empty, taking up the salad. "T-Thanks for the food, MC."

Did she just…? "MC?"

" _Stupid_." She corrected herself. "Hey, so last night…" Natsuki proceeded to fill me in about an anime she started watching. I had already seen it, since it was admittedly popular back when it premiered, so I knew what was going to happen next. Natsuki didn't, and she was still speculating about the characters and praised the show's opening, as well as the show's humor.

"I thought you would've seen that show by now… I figured anyone who watches anime would have."

"I don't watch too much… it's easier for me to read, and I can't find any manga for this show. I don't get to use the television often, and my internet sucks for streaming it, but I've been streaming it online with some patience... " She shook her head. "I used to watch a lot of anime when I was younger, but now... things are different. But that's not a big deal or anything."

"Hm." The lunch bell rang, and people had started shuffling around the cafeteria. I looked around if I could possibly spot Sayori or Yuri coming back, but the crowd made it impossible to be sure. Natsuki and I both stood up and brought the two trays from the table to the garbage and the washing counter. Our conversation continued along the way. "So you've only just started watching?"

"Yeah, I only managed to get three episodes since I got home."

Was her internet that bad? I guess I should be more thankful for the advantages my parent's gave me. My internet was pretty good. Maybe I could help Natsuki some time by letting her stream anime at my house sometime. But I'm getting ahead of myself... I should be more focused on other things. "I think the last… five or four episodes aren't as good, sadly."

"Hey! Don't tell me that, I've been liking it so far." Natsuki frowned at me.

"I liked the early episodes a lot! It's all good until the guy does something really stupid and out of character… and like, I personally didn't get the closure that I wanted from the ending, either." I continued on with my train of thought, even as Natsuki kept smacking my arm.

"Stop that!" Punch, punch...

"I think the quality drop happens after they both con-"

"- _No specifics!"_ She raises her voice over mine. Her last punch to my arm was shockingly forceful compared to everything that came before it. I knew she was holding back, but I was accustomed to the playful punches. I rubbed my arm. "Er… sorry." Natsuki muttered.

"It's alright, friend." I give her a quick swat on the back, between her shoulders. She flinches noticeably and curls her body forward defensively, taking a step away from me. I met her eyes at this newfound distance, and felt taken aback myself. She looked truly scared, if only for a second. "Natsuki…?"

Natsuki chuckled and arched her back normally, looking down and rubbing her eyes with her thumb and her forefinger. "Heh… _I'll thank you in advance if you... agree to never do something like that to me again."_ She declared that to me with a condescending assurance, as if this was more of a command from a snooty celebrity than a request. Not that I needed any convincing…

"I won't, I promise..." I couldn't help but look away thanks to the helpless feeling of regret. We returned to the table and fetched our backpacks without another word on the matter. My eyes lingered on Sayori's backpack, which was still slumped over underneath where she once sat. I don't think there was anything I could do about that: after all, I don't know what classes she had, or where she was. She would probably just come back for it when it's convenient for her, whenever that would be. Part of me wanted to somehow return the kindness of that time she brought my backpack home when I was out with Natsuki, but I couldn't do anything in this position.

Now that I mention it, all of this seems kinda familiar compared to yesterday. With me and Natsuki doing our own thing while Sayori and Yuri were… doing something or other. Chalk it up to just being the repetitive nature of school… or maybe, the nature of life in general. Maybe I could write a poem about that concept, too.

Natsuki poked my chest. "Hey Stupid. Earth to Stupid." Another poke. I was spacing out for a moment there... I looked down at her. Natsuki really was small. It must be that her personality that's so big to compensate. _Hehe._ "Come on, I don't wanna be seen as the last person leaving the lunchroom. Least of all with _you!_ Hurry up."

"Uwah? W-What is that supposed to mean?" I look around at the people that were slow to leave. Most of them appeared to be faculty, cleaning off the abandoned tables from the debris left behind by irresponsible kids. But there were a few bubbles of students, all of whom were unmistakably taken couples…!

"S-shut up and hurry up!" She grabbed my tie from underneath my vest and pulled it over her shoulder, dragging me by it as if I was a sled. As much discomfort as that gave me, I allowed her to keep doing it until we were out of the cafeteria. _Why was my heart racing?_

"You never _had_ to leave _with_ _me_ , you know…!" I suggest now that we were in the hallway. I feel like more people are going to get the impression that we're a couple if they saw Natsuki leading me by my tie like that…

"Nn… that's a good point but _shut up anyways!_ I don't like being alone...And hold still…!" I comply with her demand as Natsuki twirled from underneath my tie to face me, and took a single step towards me to close the distance. She puffed out her cheeks and steadily roped my tie back underneath the opening in my blazer. After smoothing out the wrinkles with a few pats, she stepped back. "T-There… you had it under your vest earlier, which looked goofy. Y-You look… much better now… no need to thank me, or anything."

My cheeks felt warm, as did the tips of my ears. I could discern that Natsuki was in a similar position as I was, blushing heavily. I couldn't think of anything to say to her… and neither could she. We just stood there with our eyes locked on one another. What could have been going through her mind at that moment? Was her head just as foggy as mine was? Was she trying to guess what _I_ was thinking, like how I was contemplating her thoughts?

Then, the warning bell sounded! Natsuki jumped at the sound, and shoved past me without saying anything. I spun on my heels to catch a glimpse of her dashing further away into the hall, eventually diving around a corner and out of sight. _What just happened? Why does it feel like my heart is about to burst...?_

I was going to have to take some deep breaths and stop at a water fountain. That was the warning bell, so that means I'm late for my next class. Technically late, anyways. My teacher for that period is much more lenient than my other teachers, so I'll be okay. I had a moment to think as I made my way to my next class, which was art.

 _Well I'll be damned. Now I have a crush on all of the girls in the club, huh? And the weakest one is for the one I'm specifically trying to spend time with, Yuri. Why can't things just be simple?_ _Wait, why does that lament sound oddly familiar…? Man… things just get more complicated by the second for me. This, on top of the letter drama, and the strange feelings I've been having because of them..._

I sigh and sit down at my spot. I'm not considered late, since the teacher hadn't run attendance yet. Besides, some of the lovey-dovey people from the cafeteria showed up minutes after I did. They _were_ considered late, much to my personal satisfaction.

Other than that, class was a breeze. I liked art class, because they never really cared what you did as long as you eventually met the project quota. I spend most of it waiting for the next project to be announced, playing games on my phone, reading manga, or doing something else to entertain myself. I spent a few minutes fiddling with my tie so it wasn't as tight as it was from Natsuki pulling on it. She had put the tie underneath my blazer opening, even though the dress code said that it should go underneath the vest... but I decided that I was going to keep it under the blazer, though. If someone shouted at me, I'd put it back. But nobody really cared about that, did they?

A few mindless hours later, and the final bell of the day approaches. I pack up my stuff, and when the bell eventually sounds, I head out and wait by the lockers that I always met Sayori at before heading to the clubroom. She usually greeted me with a smile and a wave.

This time, she was frowning and watching her feet indecicively. I tried to keep my attitude up as I approached her, but as soon as I was close enough she skipped past the greetings. "MC, I need to tell you something, and you need to listen to me very carefully, okay?" I was already taken aback by the tone of severity in her voice.

"Wha… what is it, Sayori?"

"It's about Yuri. She... ahem." She cleared her throat, and looked around. "Let's walk, I'll try to explain." She turned around and started shuffling on the usual route we took to the clubroom. I joined by her side and tried my hardest to listen past the bustle of the hallway. "Yuri… let's just say, she doesn't respond well to… well, to you."


	16. Regifting

"It's about Yuri. She... ahem." She cleared her throat, and looked around. "Let's walk, I'll try to explain." She turned around and started shuffling on the usual route we took to the clubroom. I joined by her side and tried my hardest to listen past the bustle of the hallway. "Yuri… let's just say, she doesn't respond well to… well, to you."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Don't be dense, MC, you know how she feels about you." She shook her head sorrowfully. "But… it's actually a bit worse than either of us could imagine."

I didn't know what to make of Sayori's vague remarks. "How so…? What do you mean?"

"I'd prefer not to tell you, since I'm trying to wrap my mind around it myself. But... it _has to stop._ I just… I don't know what to do, MC... "

"Sayori… I don't know what to tell you when I don't know what's going on. Can you just tell me what it is?" I try to sound as firm but fair as I could.

"Ahh… n-not out here." Sayori conceded and looked around at all the people trafficking through the hallways. The conversation was put on hold for the rest of the journey to the clubroom.

It only took a minute, maybe less, but we traversed the hallway and eventually reached the clubroom. I could feel the weight on both of our minds sink even deeper as we first got sight of the door, where Yuri stood, waiting for our arrival. I guess our conversation would have to wait for another time... She looked away as we approached.

Sayori stopped only a few steps behind me, which left me placed in between the two of them. I got a spiritual sensation that I shouldn't be standing there... I should be standing anywhere _but_ there. I quickly stepped out of the way and stood against the wall. Yuri continued to watch the floor beside her, while Sayori was glaring at her with an apparent anger.

"Yuri…" She began with a stern note. "If you can't control yourself, you can't be a part of this club."

Yuri remained silent and slowly looked up to Sayori with a pensive expression.

"Do I make myself clear? What did we talk about yesterday, Yuri? Were you listening to me _at all?_ "

"I…" Yuri stumbled in place and rubbed her arm.

It was a sudden shift, but it appeared as if we were the only ones in the hall now. Where did everyone else go quickly? I wished there was something that would break this up, or make it less tense, or _anything..._ Seeing Sayori upset like this was disturbing me…

"I-I really am trying… I'm just as appalled as you are, sincerely, I am... " Yuri continued, playing with some of her hair nervously.

"What are you going to do to make sure you deal with this better in the future, Yuri? Tell me." Sayori crossed her arms.

"I'm… I'm not sure. I think it might be better if I leave…"

"Is that so?" I try to interject. "I mean, I don't know what's going on, but... you don't have to leave the club. It wouldn't be the same without you." Both girls looked at me, both with separate expressions. Sayori wearing a discontent expression, Yuri bearing an elated one.

"Ah… I-I'm so glad you think so, MC!" Yuri quickly looked at Sayori. "Perhaps MC could help me overcome this! I know it sounds strange…"

"That really does sound strange, as a matter of fact, yeah." Sayori shook her head. "What the heck makes you think that the problem is the solution?"

"Well what would you propose I do? Maybe part of the reason this happens to me is because I _don't_ get to spend as much time with him as everyone else!" Now Yuri was starting to sound just as confrontational herself. _I really wish I knew what the hell any of this was about._

"What is _'this'_ exactly…?" I try to ask.

Yuri looks away nervously and cups her cheek. "Ah... W-Well…"

"Yuri has a really unhealthy and impulsive way of dealing with her feelings." Sayori shook her head yet again and made her way beside me. "She's embarrassed and realizes that it's wrong… but she keeps doing it anyways. For some reason. _Even at school._ _"_

"Huh…?" I still couldn't picture what it was she was alluding to.

"B-but! If you could just help me, then I think I can get in control of myself! Natsuki tells me all the time to try and ask you, but I was always too nervous!" Yuri also advanced towards me, a bit less casually than Sayori had. We both took a step back.

"Natsuki knows about this?" Sayori asked, sounding surprised.

"No… I mean, n-not as much as you do. I merely vent to her sometimes about my feelings, but… she doesn't know." Their eyes both retreated to the side, permeated with discomfort over the conversation. They eventually both looked at me, pressuring me into speaking.

"I've been meaning to try to get to know you a bit better, Yuri… I don't really know what's going on here, but if you think that I can somehow _help_ you, then… I guess I'll try my hardest." I say with a shrug. Not long after, a familiar sound echoes through the hallway.

"Speak of the devil, there's Natsuki." Sayori said as the sound approached. "Let's just take things easy for a while, okay?" She glanced at Yuri spitefully as she stepped in front of the door to unlock it.

"Ah… I'll go hide so Natsuki can think she got here before me." Yuri trailed off her speech as she walked away without hesitation. Sayori stopped interacting with the door, freezing in place. After a moment of steadiness, she slumped her head against the door mournfully.

"Sayori…?" I instinctively placed a hand on her shoulder.

"She's going to do it again, isn't she…" She muttered to herself. "It's because you said you'd help." She looked up at me with a dreary expression.

"Huh...?"

"MC, go chase Yuri, bring her back here right the… right now." She fumbled over her words, and giggled pitifully. "Ehehe… I almost said a bad word." She pushed the door open and yanked out the key. "Get going, every second counts."

I looked around rife with uncertainty. The rhythm of Natsuki's running was getting louder by the second. I spun around and saw a flicker of Yuri's long purple hair as she rounded a corner. Sayori had abandoned me in the hall, entering the club room by herself. Good lord… the pressure felt like it would snap my bones any second now. I took off, chasing towards Yuri.

I slowed down once I had made it around the same corner I saw her vanish behind. I couldn't see her as is, so she must have entered one of the classrooms. All of the doors were closed except for one, and every room was as dark as could be. "Yuri…?" I call out her name. There's no response. I take my chances with the only open door in front of me.

The door led to a computer lab-a rental room full of low-end desktop computers, and no windows. With the lights off, it was darker than most rooms in the school. I couldn't see anything far from the light that leaked in from behind me. "Yuri?" I ask the darkness. I don't hear a verbal response, but I heard some quick rummaging. She was in here, for sure. I groped the wall for the light switch and flicked it on.

As the room illuminated, I caught Yuri on her knees in the farthest corner of the room. She had her arm buried in her backpack, and was rummaging around through it exaggeratedly. "Hello MC!" Yuri finally responded. "I was just... S-Searching for my book!" As expected, she produced a nondescript book from her backpack. She must think I'm stupid or something... _Huh._

"You were going to read in the dark?" I tilt my head. "Just what have you been doing, Yuri? I've never seen Sayori act this way, and it's because of you. What is it?" I was starting to reflect Sayori's irritation now. But what could she have been doing?

"I…" Yuri allowed the book to fall unceremoniously onto the floor. She reached back down into her backpack and quickly retrieved something small from her backpack wrapped in a cloth. She stood up and brought it to me. I held out my hand and she placed the object inside it.

Embedded within the silky covering was… my pen. The one she stole from me. _Was this it? Was that what all that drama was about?_ _My pen?_ I look back up to Yuri with a dissatisfied expression. She had turned around so her back was facing me. I cleared my throat expectantly.

"I apologize. I think I may vomit…" Yuri uttered, slowly shuffling back to the corner of the room where her backpack and book lay.

I looked at the pen quizzically. It seemed as if the cloth was meant to dry it off, since the pen seemed a bit damp. The cloth itself appeared to be a handkerchief with Yuri's name embroidered on one of the corners. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I-I think it's best for the both of us if we just drop the subject." She stuffed her book back into her backpack.

"Yuri…" I pressure her.

"I-I… _I refuse to discuss this!"_ She timidly raised her voice at me. "Please, just throw them both away! I don't want to see those anymore!"

Upon a quick scan, the trash cans were on the other side of the room. I didn't feel like walking over to them, so for the meantime, I shoved them into my pocket. "Sooner or later you'll have to tell me what's going on…"

Yuri grabbed her backpack and stood up again at last. "I'm n-not going to tell you anytime soon… Can we just forget any of this happened?"

I sigh in resignation. "Alright… fine. I'll just let this go, since you're being so adamant about it."

Yuri didn't respond to me at first, seemingly stranded within her own thoughts. After an uncomfortably long time, she exhaled and looked down. "Thank you, MC. I can already feel that this event has helped me with my… issue, ahem." What issue was she referring to? "Let us return to the club now."


	17. Hitchhiker

[Note: This, as well as the following chapter, both make reference of MC's poem written back in Chapter 12.]

"Hey, Yuri, Stupid…" Natsuki greeted us impatiently. "You're late today! What gives?" She looked at me as if I was late to spite her or something.

"I pulled him aside, I apologize." Yuri spoke up for me. "The matter has been settled, however."

Natsuki rolled her eyes and paced around the room a little. Sayori spoke up for her, "I'm glad to hear that…" Her voice sounded distant and unsure of itself.

The room was trapped in an awkward silence as Yuri and I diffused into the setting. Nobody had opted to push the desks together while I was away… I dropped my backpack in a chair and starting back on my usual duty. The very moment once I had pushed the four desks together, Natsuki surprised me by slapping her hand down on the surface in front of me. Underneath her hand was a folded piece of paper.

"This is my poem, M... _Stupid!_ _Gaze upon my prowess with envy!"_ Natsuki declared to me in a dramatic action voice and rosy cheeks. I think she was making a reference to something, but I'm not quite sure what… but despite that, I couldn't help but smile and laugh with her. _She really was adorable, sometimes._

"Uwaah! Wait!" Sayori called out. "I wanted us to all start sharing poems at the same time! And..." She assumed her typical nervous behavior of touching her fingers together. "I really want to see what he wrote! I fell asleep while I was helping him write it, so, I never saw how it turned out...! Ehehe..." Wait, _I never knew that!_ She fell asleep while holding my arm…?

"Ehh…? She helped you write your poem?" Natsuki asked me with her arms crossed and a distant pang of emotion in her voice that I couldn't label.

"Not really, it was more like she forced me to write one." I respond with dry humor.

"Heyy…!" Sayori pouted.

"If you don't mind me asking…" Yuri began, "How do you propose we go about sharing our poems?"

"Oh, I was planning on crossing that bridge once I came to it!" Sayori replied confidently, thrusting her chest forward like a superhero.

"We're at that bridge, I think." I chuckle. She sunk back in on herself and giggled in agreement.

"I was thinking that we should pair off and trade, and then switch partners until everyone has read each other's poems." Natsuki offered with a condescending shrug, like it was the most obvious option. "Unless you'd prefer reading in front of everyone."

"Oooh! I like that idea…!" Sayori seemed enchanted with the prospect.

"I… don't…" Yuri squeaked timidly. "I think the former is the best course of action. We could offer more specific feedback that way."

"I don't mind either option, really." Natsuki said cooly. But I had a sneaking suspicion she would've minded one or the other.

"What do you think, MC?" Sayori tossed the ball to me.

"Hm… I agree with Yuri. It's more conducive for conversation that way."

"Then it's decided!" Sayori cheers.

"W-wait! What order are we going to proceed in?" Yuri asked hastily.

"Easy." Natsuki began. "Sayori can start with you, I can start with Stupid, and then you can trade with MC, and then I'll trade with… uh… wait a second, I'm confused." She grabbed her chin with a concentrated look in her eyes.

"Then you'll trade with me, and then I'll read MC's poem while you read Yuri's!" Sayori finished.

"You took the words straight from my mouth, bravo, I say!" Natsuki began applauding. Sayori giggled at the praise, even though I thought it was just Natsuki saving face.

"You said MC again, Natsuki…" I teased her with a waiver in my voice.

"Oh, _whatever, Stupid!"_ She play punched my arm again. We segregated ourselves from the group with our poems, bringing them to the far corner of the room as Sayori and Yuri did the same, going over to the teacher's desk. "I'll look at your poem, then you can look at mine."

I produced the poem from my pocket and handed it over to Natsuki. I should've read it over once or twice earlier today, since I hadn't actually read it since I first wrote it down last night. What if there was a mistake?

Natsuki's expression underwent a number of changes as she read through it. It started when her casual smug demeanor faltered and her eyes widened slightly. Then she bit her lip and lifted up the paper to cover her face. "I-I… I see what you're trying to do with this poem. You just need to do it better next time. Sure, it's heartwarming, but it's… I don't know. I felt like I read a short story instead of a poem."

"You don't like it?"

"I uh…" She set the poem on a desk, still keeping her eyes on it as if she was still reading it. "It's similar to something I would've written when I was first starting out, so I shouldn't say it's bad. I actually like it a lot… but not for any of the right reasons."

"What are the reasons you like it?"

"The wrong ones." Natsuki replied simply. _Ouch. I'm not going to try to keep talking down that path._ "I feel like one thing you could really improve on is a sense of rhythm and flow. You tried too hard to make this into a metaphorical thing, and the whole thing is mediocre as a result because you didn't focus on the right parts."

She took a step back and began searching her body for her poem. "If I had to say _something_ nice about it, I guess… Aha, there it is-" She found her own folded poem within one of her blazer pockets, "It's that it has a cute message. With some honing, you could probably write something _as powerful_ as what you're about to read." She slid the folded paper across the desk to me.

"You mean if not more?"

"Did I stutter?" She smirks at me.

"I'll be the judge of that..." I took Natsuki's poem and unfolded it.

 _Hitchhiker_

 _Let me hitch a ride  
_ _I'm heading for the other side  
_ _Away from the sky painted gray  
_ _Somewhere where the sun will shine another day_

 _I've made up my mind  
_ _I'm over running a constant grind  
_ _Take me somewhere with the flowers in bloom  
_ _Anywhere is better than this ghostly gloom_

 _Stuck here in the twilight zone  
_ _Waiting on the road all alone  
_ _I'm heading for a new place  
_ _Someone will accept me with grace_

 _Come and sail away  
_ _Come hear the horse's neigh  
_ _Can I hitch a ride  
_ _Someone's calling me  
_ _To the other side_

I set the poem down next to mine. What was I going to say about this? I've never really discussed a poem like this before. I've been assigned to look at poems by famous poets, but I always just slacked my way through those on a barely-passing grade. Natsuki was looking at me expectantly. She averted her eyes from mine once I had met them.

"So… did you like it? I felt inspired after yesterday." Natsuki shrugged defensively.

"I think I can see some of that… S-sorry, I mean, you can probably tell that I don't know a whole lot about poetry. But I like it..."

"Does anything stand out? I feel like the third stanza is pretty weak, but… well, I could've changed it, but I didn't want to. I couldn't think of anything better than that."

"Doesn't it take a lot of effort to adhere to a structure like this? I feel like it would take a lot more effort to make something like this compared to what I wrote."

"Honestly, it's just like any talent. It gets easier the more you practice it…" She leaned over and collected her poem. "You should try and incorporate some rhyming into your next poem, Stupid. Think of it as a challenge! Because if you don't challenge yourself, then you're never going to get any better."

"Eh, you don't have to tell me that." I roll my eyes.

"Pff, look at you, Stupid, you're acting just like me now." She pointed at me sassily. "And this town ain't big enough for the two of us, you know…"

"Sounds like you'd better _hitch a ride_ on out of here, then."

"Hah, nice." Natsuki rolled her eyes humorlessly. I turned around and watched Yuri and Sayori discuss each other's poems. I couldn't hear much of what they were saying from this side of the room. It seemed like a pretty colorful conversation, anyways. Sayori often expressed a lot in her body language, which seemed in stark contrast to how Yuri was poised in her seat. If I had been watching the whole time, I could have probably deciphered everything she was saying.

While I was transfixed on them, Natsuki circumnavigated the desk and stood besides me. "They'll probably keep talking for a few minutes, knowing them."

I hum in agreement. "Yeah… it looks like they're still in the middle of something."

We loitered there in a comfortable silence, not really trying to make out anything that the other girls were saying. "Hey Stupid." Natsuki rang plainly. I craned my head to look at her-rather, we moved our heads to the side in synchronization, since I was met with the back of her head.

"What's up?" I ask anyways.

She rolled her head, looking down at her feet. "I gotta know something." I kept quiet and allowed her to continue. "What do you… ahem, what do you think of me?" She finally looked up to my eyes, a strange glint within her own eyes and a blush across her face. _My heart leaped a little._

Wasn't that a pretty serious question? I lost track of any semblance of thought I had. "I uh…" I stumble out flusteredly. Shit, it was happening, _this is why I push these feelings away!_ What was I going to say? Could I say anything at all? I was starting to feel a bit cold… or was it heat? My face was burning, but my arms were freezing...

"Okay everyone!" Sayori chanted out from the teacher's desk. "It's time for the first switch! Natsuki and Yuri, trade places!" I quickly looked over at her waving her arms towards us.

"I thought Natsuki and I would exchange poems last…" I heard Yuri say.

"Wha...? You are! You're trading places, not poems!"

Natsuki quickly springs over to the teacher's desk, leaving me in the corner by myself. I sigh and sit down… I guess I should be thankful about being interrupted like that. It saves me the trouble of embarrassing myself, at least temporarily. But at some point, I'm going to have to confront that again...

[Author's note: Unfortunately, there will be no update next week. Some things got in the way of my writing routine, so I'll need more time to write myself some space to work with. Sorry! ~Stareo]


	18. Jupiter

Yuri took a seat across from me and set her poem on the table, wordlessly swapping it for my own. I guess she didn't want to bother with any friendly conversation before starting, but I can't blame her. Especially after what happened earlier, in the computer lab. I cracked my knuckles, and reached for her poem...

"Hmm." Yuri sets my poem down before my hand is halfway across the desk. _I haven't even touched hers yet, and she's done reading mine?_ "Novice poetry is fascinating. Your poem reminds me of Sayori's in some ways."

"Wh… okay?" I was taken a bit off guard. "Do you have anything to, uh... say about it?" I retreat back into my seat.

Yuri clears her throat solemnly. "I would like to preface this by swearing my complete honesty." She placed her hand on her chest. "I don't like it at all." Yuri said dryly.

"Ouch, okay…" I mean, I knew it was... well, _bad_ _,_ but... Natsuki enjoyed it? Then again, her praise was a bit on the dodgy side. Maybe I needed this honesty? Or maybe not, since it still felt a bit crushing.

"And yet, when I look at this…" she scooped up my poem again. "It feels like nothing I've ever felt before." She spoke somberly, caressing her thumb across the paper. "It scares me. When I feel the paper, when I see this handwriting… it becomes hard to control myself." She dropped the poem again, allowing it to slice through the air and onto the desk. "It's comparable to seeing a new color for the first time. I would assume. I can't describe it. But the color is the most captivating thing I have ever seen." She closed her eyes and sighed.

What the hell was she talking about? 'A new color?' She just said she didn't like my poem, though. "S-so does that mean you actually liked it…?"

"I don't like it… by every account, I have no reason to like it. So that's my answer."

It felt like I just talked myself into a circle. Maybe I should just shove the conversation forward more directly. "Can you offer any advice that'll help me become a better poet?"

"Ah... Why don't you read my poem as an example, and I'll try to tell you what I can." Yuri sighed dismally.

Finally, there was my que to take her poem... I noticed the blue ink she wrote with was probably the same ink from my pen. I scoffed and began reading...

 _Aires Jupiter_

 _The wild sky broke upon the horizon_  
 _Storms that shattered the Earth as it did the Sky_  
 _Uncontrolled pride cascading down_  
 _The wild sky broke upon the horizon_  
 _Storms that shattered the Earth as it did the Sky_  
 _Uncontrolled envy cascading down_  
 _The wild sky broke upon the horizon_  
 _Storms that shattered the Earth as it did the Sky_  
 _Uncontrolled lust cascading down_  
 _The clouds parted at last, yet still churning_  
 _The clouds parted, the wrath yet evident_  
 _Through the diaphanous veil, Jupiter could see_  
 _And how Jupiter wept at the sight_  
 _The wild sky broke upon the horizon_

 _And the cycle resumes again_

I lowered the sheet of paper down on the desk and collected my thoughts. My first impression of the poem had found it surprisingly moving, personally. "This is really good, Yuri!"

"Hm. Sayori said almost the exact same thing verbatim. Funny how well you two seem to get along with each other. But thanks anyways. It's not my best work, by any means." Yuri shrugged. "I wrote it yesterday, since today would be… or is, rather, is Thursday. Did you know that Thursday is the day of Jupiter?"

Jupiter. That was the subject of her poem, or the metaphor anyways. I knew that Jupiter as a planet had a lot of storms, and storms seemed to be an important concept in the poem. But what did any of that have to do with Thursday? "I thought it was Thursday because it was the day of Thor, not Jupiter."

"You're not mistaken... The phonetic similarity exists because it is considered 'Thor's Day' moreover, but, Thor was derived from the Germanic god Thunraz. Which was the equivalent to the Roman pantheonic Jupiter, and since the Romans were the ones who named the days of the calendar... they named some of them after their gods. Not all of them though, like Sunday and Monday are more for the sun and moon respectively. I'm not as researched, but I believe the months were named after great leaders, such as Julius Caesar for July. I think August was named after Augustus Caesar."

"Oh. I didn't know that, that's actually pretty interesting. There were two Caesars? Who knew..." I tried to keep up with her conversation, but I doubt I was doing a good job. I hadn't noticed earlier, but Yuri wasn't stuttering or stumbling over her words anymore… for the time being, anyways. Although, now it was harder to get any kind of 'read' on what she was currently thinking or feeling. Maybe she feels comfortable talking about this sort of stuff.

"The ancient pantheons were always intriguing to me. As was simply the culture of an ancient society like the Romans... They thought they had achieved peak civilization-that there was nowhere else to go for them. Isn't that fascinating? There was a point history where people believed that their very Gods walked among them the populous. Imagine if people still believed that…" Yuri spoke wistfully. I wanted to ask about how Jupiter somehow became Thursday when Thor was a Norse god, whereas the Romans named the calendar days… It just didn't add up in my head. But I think the subject was changing too much anyways; I wanted it to get back onto the poetry at hand.

"Yeah, so uh… what else can you say about your poem?" I rapt my fingers on the desk impatiently.

"Hm? Oh, forgive me, I went off on a tangent there." Yuri rubbed her arm bashfully. "I suppose the entire poem is written as a metaphor capturing how I've been feeling lately. I don't like explaining the metaphors, personally. It's best left up to the audience to interpret things their own way, wouldn't you agree?" She tilted her head cutely.

"I guess so." Talking to Yuri was proving surprisingly challenging. I had no idea what else to even say to her at this point. How did I interpret her poem, anyways...? Maybe if I could read it again, I could think about that more deeply.

"I never asked you what you felt about your poem, MC." Yuri leaned forward slightly with a blissfully curious expression.

"Oh, well…" I grabbed my poem and quickly looked over it. _It sure seemed a hell of a lot worse compared to Natsuki and Yuri's poem, that's for sure._ "Let me think about that… wait, but didn't you say you don't like it?"

She quickly retreated back into her seat. "Well… y-yes, I don't like it. But that doesn't matter! I uh... T-That doesn't mean I think any less of you! I-I-I…! I… I'm sorry. Ahem." She cleared her throat and closed her eyes. "I don't like it… but I'm still fascinated by what the idea was when writing it. Everything has an inspiration. It's what gives these words meaning."

"I guess I wrote it as some kind of abstract summary of everything that had been going on at the time. I didn't really know how to write a poem seriously, so it turned into… whatever this is." I dropped my poem back down onto the desk. "There's been a lot going on, and a lot of conflicting feelings... sometimes an absence of anything when I should be feeling something. I don't know."

"Ah… I see. Perhaps you could write a better poem if you selected a single thing to focus on, rather than such a general and personal array of experiences."

"You're probably right." It sounded like good advice. I'll be sure to keep that in mind when I try to write my next poem-

"Not to mention the lack of rigid structure or format, inconsistent length, poor rhythm, and general issues regarding any sort of metaphor or narrative… but I digress, this is a strong first poem! I have no doubts that you'll improve."

"E-Excuse me?" That was unexpectedly harsh! And why did she say all of that with such a sweet tone of voice? "Would it kill you to say something positive about it?"

"I just said it was a strong first poem…! I'm sorry, MC. Let me see your poem again…" Yuri slid the paper towards herself and folded the corner towards herself like it was a poker hand. She quickly pressed it back down. "Actually… how about at the end of the day, once you've let Sayori read it, I'll take it home with me and text you some more in-depth advice?" She offered a persuasive smile.

"Um… I guess that'll work." I nod with insecurity. Something in the back of my head and the pit of my stomach is telling me that it would be a bad idea to let Yuri take something of mine home for some reason. Maybe it was because of the pen thing earlier making me think she just wants to steal things from me. But, she seemed pretty torn up over that, and gave it back...

"Ah…! Thank you, MC. I'll be sure to cherish it aptly." Yuri put her hand over her heart and closed her eyes. That feeling didn't go away, despite her attempts.

" _Alright, switch time!"_ Sayori called out to the club. "MC and Natsuki, switch places!"

"She just wants to stay in the comfy chair." Natsuki loudly commented to herself.

"Yup!" Sayori nodded, and spun in place with the teacher's chair. "Come on over, MC!"

I took my poem and stood up. Yuri's eyes followed me the whole way, which was slightly unnerving. As I passed by Natsuki walking across the room, she punched me in the arm again, with that same playful familiarity I was getting used to.I looked back at her to catch that she was sticking her tongue out at me defiantly. I rolled my eyes and sat down across from Sayori, who was waiting for her spin to stop naturally.

[Author's Note: Hate that it's come to this, but I might have to keep the updates on this delayed schedule of every other week. My apologies! Hope you're ready for the next chapter... ~Stareo.]


	19. Threads

"Hello again, MC…" Sayori waved her hand clumsily. "How have things been going with Natsuki and Yuri...?

"Well, Natsuki liked my poem, and Yuri…" How did Yuri feel about my poem again…? She said she didn't like it, but then the way she talked about it made it sound a lot more... favorable. "I guess Yuri didn't like it as much."

Sayori rested her cheek in her palm, her eyes straying to the corner. "Yuri's kinda weird, isn't she…"

"You know what? Yeah, you're right." I nod with some relief. "I can hardly understand most of the things she says."

"She taught me about what Thursday meant...or something like that." She punctuated with a shrug. "It kinda felt like she wasn't really talking to _me_ , but like, _towards me,_ and I happened to be in the way… she's weird."

"Likewise…" I sneak a glance behind myself. It appeared that the other two girls were talking about something other than their poems. "Did Natsuki say anything about me…?"

"You're the talk of the town, MC." Sayori droned on tiredly, letting out an exasperated breath. "She and Yuri both mentioned you. It's a bit tiring sometimes. They think I'm some kinda guide to MC, can you believe it?" I looked away and tried to hide some of my blush. Because, well… I could believe it!

"I mean… you know me pretty well, whether you care to admit it or not. I've never been as close to someone like I am with you, after all." I spoke before realizing how sensitive it came across as.

Sayori shined a temporary slight smile off to the side. "You should spend some more time with them after school, in my opinion. Maybe walk Yuri to her bus stop, or help out Natsuki."

"I'd rather just keep walking home with you." I shook my head, refusing almost reflexively. I'm not one to break traditions once I've made them, and walking home with Sayori was one of those.

"Aww, thanks, MC... " She sat up a bit more. "Uh… anyways, here's my poem." She presented the piece of paper from breakfast to me. I accepted it gracefully.

Thread Along

A long line of thread  
Sewn into a scarf  
Did I knit this?  
It seems nice  
But I don't think it's mine

Did you knit this thread?  
Why do I carry it?  
It is nice  
But what does it mean?  
Why give it to me?  
What will it mean later?

Did fate present me with this thread?  
Who then can I blame?  
It's very nice  
I don't want to let go  
But it's not mine

This certainly wasn't the sort of thing I was expecting to see from Sayori. I was having some trouble making sense of it, despite the simple language.

"Do you have any questions or anything? This was a bit of an experiment for me..."

"I think I have a grasp on it." I shrug, even though that wasn't close to true..

"It's... sort of personal, I guess." Sayori began explaining. "I was thinking about some of the nice things in my life. Like… did I earn them myself, did someone give it to me, or was it just fate?" She shrugged in a meek voice. "Do I even deserve them? Who's to say it's deservedly mine…? Sorry, i'm rambling, ehehe…"

"Oh, it's fine..." I nod, taking a breath and looking down at her poem again… and something in the air tasted bad. I really don't know what to say to her. Was she feeling alright? "Uh… Do you have anything else you want to add before I give you my poem?"

"Well… Yuri didn't like my poem at all. She said I was missing all these 'fundamentals-" she imitated a pretentious voice reminiscent of Yuri's, "-there's no rhythm, no meter, no enjambment, too much caesura, no rhyming, it's not a traditional structure…' and so on."

"Huh…? I don't even know what half of those words mean!"

"Me neither! She wouldn't tell me… it was really frustrating." Sayori crossed her arms and pouted for a moment. "But it's okay… I'll just google it later, and try to write a better poem."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do the same…" I say as I stretch to hand my poem to Sayori across the large desk. She took it, but she didn't read it. She must've wanted to wrap up discussion on her poem on a more positive note.

"Did you like my poem? I mean, I'm not the most experienced writing poems, but it's really fun!" She smiled a fake smile for a moment. "I think I can write a much better one if I gave myself a bit more time."

"You didn't sound very inexperienced last night." I prod, only then realizing how that sounded a bit more suggestive than I meant it to be. Maybe that was just my dirty mind, since Sayori seemed unphased.

"Hey…! There's a reason why I'm the president, you know…" she seemed off put by her own words, like the sentence puzzled her. "Why am I the president…?"

I prepared to speak again, but I was interrupted by Sayori as she leaned to the side awkwardly, as if trying to look at what was happening behind my back from across the desk. I turn around myself to see what had caught her interest. At the opposite side of the room, it seems the conversation between Natsuki and Yuri had taken a heated turn. I quickly exchange glances with Sayori, and we both quietly agree to stand up and slowly inch closer.

We hovered a few feet away from the argument, quietly trying to make sense of what was going on. Both Natsuki and Yuri were trying to raise their voices over each other, oblivious to the fact that Sayori and I were in the vicinity. It was hard to make out what either of them were saying… but surprisingly, it seemed as if Natsuki was more composed than Yuri was.

That was exemplified as Yuri stood up out of her seat and began shouting at Natsuki, whilst towering over her. "What would an immature simpleton like you know about life?! You're pathetic, why should I ever listen to someone like you? You don't have the slightest idea what I'm going through! You're too busy living vicariously through childish cartoons and manga!" Her harangue was more intelligible now that Natsuki wasn't talking over her.

Natsuki seemed a bit unphased and rolled her eyes. "As if you know anything about me… You're so absorbed in your wack-ass worldview that you wouldn't know jack about 'the world' even if it slapped you across the face and spit in your mouth!" She spoke in an accelerating pace, intently teasing her in contrast to Yuri's obvious anger. "How many times have you willingly gone outside in the past month, Yuri? You're so pale, you'd scare a ghost!"

"Insulting my appearance? I thought you only looked like a child, not that you acted like one as well! At least I'm not trying too hard to make everything I do all cutesy and emulate the rubbish that you should've stopped reading when you were out of middle school! If you're going to insult me for not going outside, then you don't have a leg to stand on, you coddled baby!"

With that, Natsuki stood up too, shoving her chair back. I rapidly look between everyone. "H-hey…" I try to step in to break things apart, but lose the courage as the argument carried on as regardless.

"Calling me coddled? I can't believe I used to think you were smart…! You prissy fuckhead rich kids… I spend almost every day I can outdoors! Sometimes I sleep outside, and half of the time it's not even because I want to! Do you have any idea what I put up with, you ignorant son of a…"

"N-Natsuki…!" Sayori called out to keep her from cussing. At the sound of her voice, both girls whipped their heads to face her and shouted for her to shut up in unison. I was just as taken aback as Sayori was. She thrust herself into my side and held onto me tightly, covering her face. I was shocked as the argument somehow continued despite that…

"Telling tales won't get you anywhere, you child." Yuri scoffed dismissively.

"I don't care what you think, you freak. It's no wonder you never had any friends, because you're just a stuck-up snob who thinks she's better than everyone, even for a private kid!" Natsuki growled. "You disgust me. I can't believe I ever wanted to be friends with you…"

"Oh, that's funny." Yuri smiled. "I don't care about your opinion either. In order to care about someone's opinion, I'd first have to respect them." Yuri stopped smiling. "I have no respect for you, Natsuki. I never did. I can hardly remember your name. You are less than dirt to me. You're less than the dirt that you sleep in at night."

Holy crap. Was this the same Yuri that was made tea for everyone on special occasions? Everything escaped me at that moment. I could only clutch onto Sayori and try to let my presence reassure her. I could see Natsuki was starting to shake where she stood. Yuri apparently wasn't finished: she had one last thing to say.

"Nobody would care if you killed yourself."

Natsuki and I were speechless. Natsuki looked about ready to run, but then Sayori stepped towards them. "Yuri…" Her voice was heavy with the weight of sobbing. I hadn't noticed that she was crying into my blazer earlier. "H-How could you say that…?"

Something inside me flared ferociously. I tossed myself forward in a haze, stepping in front of Sayori. "Yuri, I never want to see you again! I swear to God, if you ever come near me or any of us again…!" I can't think of anything to say. "Agh! Just get out of here!"

Natsuki stood besides me, and took my hand. Her face was red and she looked to be on the edge of tears herself, but she spoke with a steely fortitude despite that. "Go to hell, you scumbag…"

"I… I believed in you, Yuri…" Sayori whimpered. "You can't be a part of the club anymore... You're banned, effective immediately. Th-This was supposed to be a happy place. And now it's going to be scarred by this forever. Get out of my sight…" She sobbed.

Yuri left without a word.

And that was how the Literature Club lost its Vice President.


	20. Dissolve

There was no way to change what had just happened… we were all resolute where we stood, bearing a righteous anger, but that cloud of justice had quickly dissipated. The most pressing question was…

"Now what…?" Natsuki asked, sitting down at a desk. "What do we do now? I'm glad she's gone… but… I mean, now everything's all awkward." She chuckled dismally.

"Beats me." I sigh. She was almost close with the awkwardness. I would've called the feeling tension, or maybe shock… Sayori hadn't said a word since Yuri left. When I looked at her, she seemed to be lost in thought, struggling to contemplate something. I wanted to say something to her, but every time I glanced at her she turned away.

"I knew Yuri was kinda strange in the… uh, in the head, I guess. This really shouldn't surprise me as much as it does." Natsuki continued. "I just didn't think she'd get like _that,_ you know?"

"Hey Natsuki… how did that argument even start? Like, what was going on?"

"Really? It was nothing, we were just talking, and then she got snippy with me for no reason. I don't know what it was."

"... Alright, if you say so…" Frankly, I didn't believe her… but now wasn't the time to press charges. Not that it even mattered much to me in the first place. We might be better off without Yuri.

"Ah… can I have everyone's attention, please?" Sayori struggled to say. We both acquiesced, and allowed her to continue. "We have a slight issue, now that Yuri is gone. The thing is… we need four members to be recognized as a club, and now we have… _three."_ She stammered.

"That is an issue, yeah…" Natsuki reflected my thoughts verbally. "Does that mean they're going to stop the club…?"

"Once the advisory notice, yes…" Sayori scratched her hair nervously. "And the festival is coming up, which means… yeah! Ehehe…"

"No more Literature Club." I fill in the gap somberly. "Don't we, uh… have time to recruit a new member? The festival is next week, isn't it?"

"I can't be asked to remember." Sayori responded gloomily. "And If I may… uh... say something…"

Natsuki and I quietly allowed her to continue.

"It doesn't matter. Member or no member, I'm stopping the club." She looked down, her voice barren of any semblance of emotion.

"Wh-What?" I exclaim in surprise. "Why would you want to stop the club? Why-" I look to Natsuki, expecting her to back me up, or share my surprise. Instead, she looked just as downcast as well.

"Don't kid yourself, MC." Natsuki said with a sigh. "Remember when we talked outside? Really, nobody is in this club for literature. With Yuri gone, that's more true than ever. I just wanted a place to hang out with friends. This 'club' is a sham."

I couldn't refute that, but… part of me enjoyed the literature aspects, I suppose. Before I could say anything, Sayori spoke up again.

"It's true, it is a sham. When I started this club, it was… I don't really know what I was doing. I just acted on an impulse because, 'hey, I'm passionate about creative writing, why not start a club?' Never mind that I had no experience, or any reason to do that at all, I just felt like it was something I had to do. And… I did it." Sayori sat down in the teacher's chair. "And it was kinda… nothing, for a while. Yuri came, and since she was the first person to join, I called her my 'vice president.' When really, it didn't mean anything. Then you joined-" She pointed at Natsuki, "-and that added a lot. I was starting to look _forward_ to the club. It wasn't an obligation anymore… I started to feel happier. Things were looking up. I even devised a plan to convince MC to join: asking you to make cupcakes, letting Yuri bring her tea set by claiming the teacher said it was okay... and it worked perfectly. Things were great. We were pretty much a club… those first few weeks were amazing.

Then Yuri started acting weird. Talking about morbid things, staring at MC when he wasn't looking obsessing over him… sending me weird threats, sending MC weird letters…"

"Wait, what?" I blurted, my eyes widening. Did she just say that Yuri sent her threats? And that she was the one writing me letters? There's no way that could have been true, I thought whoever was doing that delivered the letters while we were at school! And doesn't that mean that Sayori was receiving letters as well? That changes everything…! Could Yuri have been the one to clean my room, too? No... It doesn't add up... but, it's still within the realm of possibility. "Yuri sent you threats?"

"Yeah…! She did… she printed out these threatening poems, sealed them in an envelope, and got someone to deliver them to my house while we were at school… er, I think she did, anyways…"

"Whoa, back up…" Natsuki put a hand on her temple. "I know Yuri's a nutjob but this is something else! Do you know for a fact that she did this?"

"W-Well… who else could it be? I don't know that many people… and I didn't want to believe it was her! The whole reason I made everyone write poems was so I could compare the writing to see if they matched up, but after what she said to you… it couldn't be anyone else."

My head was starting to spin. Did any of this make sense…? What was Sayori going through? I ask breathlessly, "Do you have these threats with you right now?"

"No, I don't… they're all at my house still."

We didn't dare move as we all silently contemplated to ourselves… but our minds moved as one hive. We stood up, collected what was ours, and forged our way out of the clubroom. No more words were needed, we knew what we were doing. We were going to Sayori's house.

As we exited into the hallway, we were relieved to find that there was nobody in sight. Yet, I had to wonder where Yuri had gone to… my first guess is that she went to a bathroom or back into the computer lab, but maybe she had gone outside and headed home. That would be less likely, since she had to take the bus.

Maybe Natsuki was thinking along the same lines, since she seemed to be anxiously looking around a lot as we traversed the halls. We were allowing Sayori to lead us outside, but her pace was unenthusiastic and lagged. Despite that, we followed at an emulated pace.

Outdoors, Sayori stopped at the edge of the concrete plaza. "So uh… I'll see you later, Natsuki. MC and I are going home." She spoke with a peppy confidence that was hard to argue with.

I looked between Sayori and Natuski pensively, because I was under the impression that Natsuki was going to come with us. I wonder why she was dismissing her like that… My eyes caught Natsuki's. Her expression was annoyed, but I got the impression that Natsuki wasn't bothered. "Alright, then. See ya later." She shrugged, and began walking away from us, perpendicular from the street me and Sayori usually take. I couldn't bring myself to say anything, and joined Sayori to walk home.

A few minutes of silence followed us as we slowly meandered home. Then Sayori suddenly took hold of my arm and pressed against my body. "S-Sayori?" I vocalize, taken off guard.

"MC…! MC…" She buried her face against my chest desperately. "I-I'm so scared, MC… I don't know what to do…"

I stayed silent and exhaled patiently. I didn't know what to do either, in all seriousness… but saying that wouldn't help either of us. Her disposition earlier must have been a cover, and now that we were alone, she was letting her emotions out…

"MC... c-can we have another sleepover? I feel better when I'm with you. I don't want to be alone." She pronounced herself more matter-of-factly with every sentence.

"Wha…" I remember earlier this morning things got awkward when I suggested the same topic. What was with this sudden turnaround? "I… I don't know if I can, but uh… I'd be glad to have you over."

"Okay… okay…" Sayori sighed to herself and took a step away from me. "I'm sorry for throwing myself on you like that…"

"No, it's alright. I just need to catch up on my homework and all…"

"I know… I promise I won't distract you, ehehe…" She giggled to herself with a new sense of relief.

It was at that moment that my sixth sense starting to go off: it felt as if someone was watching us! I turned to search the area behind me. Nobody was obviously there, but there were plenty of objects to hide behind... It was probably nothing, or just the fear that someone saw the intimacy of what happened. We just continued on our way home with slightly raised spirits.

[Author's note: My apologies for the somewhat shorter chapter. This is... troubling. I've been in a bad place in terms of writing, and haven't made a lot of progress lately. This is actually the critical limit; I don't have any writing backlogged after this chapter currently. Hopefully that will change soon? I'm still committed to writing this... But if things get worse, I'll try to keep people updated.]


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